US transport department: Passenger flights transportation between US and India commences from July 23.

US transport department: Passenger flights transportation between the US and India commences from July 23

 US transport department declared that passenger flights to and from India can recommence from 23 July. The US had blamed India of involving in “discriminatory practices” after New Delhi banned all scheduled services June citing coronavirus.

The Indian government has agreed to grant US air transports to resume passenger services in the US-India market starting 23 July, the US Transportation Department announced on Friday. The Indian government, citing the coronavirus, had banned all scheduled services, prompting the US Transportation Department in June to blame India for engaging in “unfair and discriminatory practices” on charter air transports serving India.

The Transportation Department announced it was withdrawing an order it had issued demanding Indian air carriers to apply for permission before conducting charter flights and stated it had approved an Air India application for passenger charter flights between the United States and India. A group representing major US airlines and the Indian Embassy in Washington did not quickly comment on Friday.

India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation stated on Twitter it was moving to "further expand our international civil aviation operations" and arrangements from some flights "with US, UAE, France & Germany are being put in place while similar arrangements are also being worked out with several other countries." 

"Under this arrangement,” it continued, “airlines from the concerned countries will be able to operate flights from & to India along with Indian carriers. "The US Transportation Department order was estimated to take influence next week. The Trump administration stated in June it wanted “to restore a level playing field for US airlines" under the US-India Air Transport Agreement. The Indian government had banned all scheduled services and neglected to approve US carriers for charter operations, it continued. The US government stated in June that Air India had been operating "repatriation" charter flights between India and the United States in both directions since 7 May.