India suspends flights to and from UK till Jan 7 over new covid strain

News Network

December 30, 2020

New Delhi, Dec 30: India on Wednesday extended the ban on flights to and from Britain till January 7 to contain the spread of the mutant strain of coronavirus prevalent there.

“Decision has been taken to extend the temporary suspension of flights to & from the UK till 7 January 2021,” Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said.

He said after January 7, flights would resume in a “strictly regulated” manner and details about it would be announced “shortly”.

The announcement to extend the ban came on a day when the Health Ministry said it had detected a total of 20 cases of the new strain of SARS-CoV-2 in the country after testing passengers who had returned from Britain between November 25 and December 22.

India had suspended all flights from Britain from December 23 to December 31.

Earlier, Puri said the government was also closely monitoring the situation in South Africa and a few other countries that have reported the new strain of SARS-CoV-2.

The minister had said India had put in place a new protocol for handling passengers from Britain and other countries, including genome sequencing of positive cases to detect the new strain.

“We are getting a handle on it. ... Our systems are in place, we have managed contact tracing,” Puri had told a press conference on Tuesday.

The minister said resumption of normal international passenger flights depended on the behaviour of the virus and the roll-out of the vaccine for Covid-19.

He said he expected normal international flights to be back to pre-Covid times in the first half of the new year.

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Stranded, hungry, and helpless: Last-minute cancellation of Dammam flight sparks chaos at Mangaluru Airport

News Network

November 24,2025

Mangaluru, Nov 24: The original departure time of 11.10 pm was a distant memory for scores of Dammam-bound passengers at Mangaluru International Airport last Friday night, as their Air India Express flight was abruptly cancelled at the eleventh hour, sparking hours of frustration and chaos.

The flight, IX 885, initially scheduled to depart at 11.10 pm on November 22, was subject to two back-to-back reschedules—first pushed to 11.45 pm and then significantly postponed to 1.40 am—before the final, crushing announcement of cancellation was made. For the travellers, many of whom are likely expatriate workers with tight schedules, the last-minute change marked the beginning of a distressing ordeal.

"There was no drinking water, no food, and absolutely no proper guidance. We were left stranded like refugees," complained a stranded passenger.

According to multiple passenger accounts, the airline's ground staff failed to provide adequate support or essential amenities following the cancellation. Complaints poured in about the total absence of drinking water, food provisions, and any reliable guidance from the carrier's representatives. Travellers alleged they were left stranded for a considerable period, with no immediate arrangements or clear communication offered regarding accommodation or alternative travel to send them back home.

The incident has highlighted serious concerns over the carrier's contingency planning and customer service protocols during flight disruptions at one of India's key international gateways. The airline is yet to issue a comprehensive statement addressing the alleged lapse in passenger care.

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