Following the suspension of scheduled international operations in 2019, select international airlines were operating under air bubble arrangements
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s (DGCA) announcement on the resumption of scheduled commercial international flight operations from March 27, 2022 has lifted the spirits of the aviation industry. International operations resumed on Sunday after a two-year hiatus amidst a decline in the COVID-19 cases across the globe. Following the suspension of scheduled international operations in 2019, select international airlines were operating under air bubble arrangements.
As the industry adopts an optimistic outlook regarding the revival of aviation and tourism sectors, Air France and KLM, which had maintained their operations under the air bubble model in wake of the pandemic, are delighted to recommence their scheduled commercial operations.
Sharing his thoughts on the resumption of commercial flight operations, Jean-Noel Rault, Air France- KLM General Manager Indian Subcontinent, said, “We are glad to have been able to maintain operations under the air-bubble model during the most challenging times. The resumption of scheduled international operations is a major milestone toward normalcy. With the reopening, we are now looking forward to connect once again our customers to destinations across our global network. India is a strategic market for Air France and KLM, thanks to a strong VFR segment and incoming tourism we anticipate a rapid recovery that should help the industry. We will carefully monitor the market situation as we intend to reach our pre-pandemic activity over the summer of 2022.”
Following the resumption, Air France and KLM will progressively increase flight operations from India, starting with 20 weekly flights in April and expand frequency to 30 weekly fights in May. Air France will operate from 4 gateways; Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai and KLM from Delhi & Mumbai. Customers will have access to destinations across the global network with convenient connections via Paris CDG and Amsterdam.
As part of Air France and KLM’s commercial policy, tickets issued on/after March 1, 2022 are 100 per cent changeable (excluding group fares and allotments). Customers can change the date of their ticket, before departure of the first flight with no change fee. However, if the original fare is no longer available, customers will only be required to pay the fare difference. Customers can request for a travel voucher if they do not have immediate travel plans. These vouchers are non-refundable and valid for one year from the date of issue.
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