Since February 2022, Karnataka’s guidelines for international arrivals to Bangalore International Airport and Mangalore Airport have been relaxed. The removal of the Air Suvidha form, effective from November 21, has made it a lot easier to travel to India from the United States and other countries. Besides, full-vaccination or pre-departure RT-PCR testing is no longer a mandatory requirement. However, the wake of a subvariant of Omicron BF.7 causing a COVID-19 surge in China and other countries has pushed India to take precautionary measures.

The latest circular on “India’s Guidelines for International Arrivals” states, “All travelers should preferably be fully vaccinated as per the approved primary schedule of vaccination in their country of citizenship or residence.” If you’re fully vaccinated and taking flights to Bengaluru from USA or any other country, make sure to carry the vaccination proof. As of now, travelers from only five countries – China, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong – have to take an RT-PCR test before traveling to India.

Picture Credit: The Hindu | Sudhakara Jain

Post-arrival random testing and quarantine

As per Indian government’s guidelines for international arrivals that Karnataka complies with, not everyone is subject to a COVID-19 test on arrival at Bengaluru Kempegowda Airport and Mangalore. Random testing is back at all international airports in India. Only 2% of the total passengers of an inbound flight are selected for random COVID-19 testing. If you’re in the 2%, you will undergo an RT-PCR test. You can exit the airport or proceed for a domestic flight to the final destination once your samples are collected. Only children below 12 years are exempted from post-arrival random testing. However, if found symptomatic in thermal screening, they will be tested.

The state government of Karnataka requires those randomly tested individuals to home-quarantine themselves unless the result of their random testing comes negative. If the result comes positive, the samples will be sent for genomic sequencing to determine whether it is the BF.7 Omicron variant. If signs and symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 develop after your arrival in Karnataka, they must contact the nearest health center or the national helpline number 1075.

“The elimination of Air Suvidha is a welcome move. Now fully-vaccinated travelers can take last minute flights to India from USA or any other country in the event of a family emergency without worrying about filling in an Air Suvidha form. Earlier, some of our customers could not immediately travel to India immediately in the exigency of death in family because of the mandatory Air Suvidha form,” said the chief travel advisor of IndianEagle.com, a leading air-ticketing partner of Indians in America.

Post-arrival procedure at Karnataka airports 

Karnataka’s guidelines for international inbound travelers include mandatory thermal screening and pulse oximeter reading on arrival at Bangalore and Mangalore international airports . Every traveler flying in from abroad undergoes thermal screening and pulse oximeter testing. If you are found symptomatic (feverish temperature, cough, cold, sore throat), you will be isolated and taken to a dedicated medical facility for payable COVID19 testing. If you test positive with severe symptoms, you will be quarantined and treated at a paid or government facility until you are negative. The treatment and quarantine costs will be borne by you.

Who can travel to Bengaluru, India from abroad? 

All Indian passport holders, foreign citizens with/without OCI/PIO cards, and foreign nationals having valid visas to India (as per the Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines) can travel to Bengaluru. All PIO cardholders including those having the handwritten ones can travel to and from India until December 31, 2023 as the PIO to OCI conversion deadline is extended. Do also check the latest OCI card news with respect to travel to and from India.

COVID19 testing at Bangalore International Airport 

Kempegowda International Airport has a dedicated COVID-19 testing facility for passengers, both inbound and outbound. The 24/7 COVID testing center near the arrivals area of the terminal offers both Rapid RT-PCR tests (Abbott ID NOW) and regular RT-PCR tests. The result of a Rapid RT-PCR test is available within 30 minutes, whereas the regular RT-PCR test results are delivered within 5-6 hours from the time of sample collection. A Rapid RT-PCR test costs a few times more than the cost of a regular RT-PCR test at Bangalore Airport.

This guide on flying in to and arrival in Karnataka is part of our continued effort to provide the latest information about travel to and from India.  We, at Indian Eagle, have addressed thousands of travel concerns and queries during the pandemic in the past two years, thereby ensuring hassle-free boarding and arrival for travelers. Indian Eagle, a most trusted travel-booking partner of Indian Diaspora, is committed to making international air tickets to India available for reasonable fares.

The post Traveling to Karnataka? Know What Guidelines Apply to International Arrivals at Bengaluru Airport appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

The growing preference for direct flights to India over connecting flights is one of the developments in the US-India air travel in the post-COVID19 world. Two of the premier US carriers – United Airlines and American Airlines – are catching on to the trend by launching nonstop flights to India from some of their US hubs. While United Airlines started Chicago to Delhi nonstop flights on December 10, 2020, American Airlines launched the New York to Delhi nonstop service in October 2021.

The year 2023 will see nonstop flights to Bangalore from the West Coast of USA by United Airlines as the most-awaited launch of this service has been postponed to March 25, 2023. United Airlines announced May 26 for the launch of nonstop SFO to Bangalore flights today. The economically viable route, San Francisco to Bengaluru, was supposed to see United Airlines’ nonstop service in May 2021, but the launch was cancelled due to the deadly second wave in India and rescheduled on May 26, 2022. American Airlines’ Seattle to Bengaluru flights are likely to take off by this year end.

Picture Credit: Aviation Today | Airbus

Currently, Air India is ruling this route with daily nonstop service. Direct flights to Bengaluru from SFO, USA – which has lots of untapped potential – will prove to be a Midas touch for United Airlines. According to aviation market analysts, Air India and United Airlines will cater the growing demand for business class flights between the Silicon Valley of America and the Silicon Valley of India.

Since 2010, Air India has been unrivalled in operating most of the nonstop routes between USA and India. The upcoming daily United flight between SFO and BLR is being anticipated as a stiff competition to Air India. Indians in and around San Francisco can travel to their destinations in South India through Kempegowda International Airport. Furthermore, Emirates Airlines and Qatar Airways’ fights from Seattle-Tacoma are providing connectivity to Bangalore from the West Coast.

“There is high demand for nonstop flights from USA to Chennai and Kolkata, according to our several surveys. Nonstop flights are shorter than nonstop hub flights. Most of our customers are seeking itineraries with short travel time for their round trips to India this year end and in 2022. United Airlines having added two new direct flights – SFO to BLR and ORD to DEL – brightens our hope for the opening up of more and more nonstop routes between USA and India,” said the chief information officer of Indian Eagle, a leading travel-booking partner of Indians in America.  

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Updated on March 8, 2022: The government of India was all set to resume regular/scheduled international flights on December 15, 2021 after two months of toddling towards normalization of international passenger flight operations, but the Omicron variant of COVID19 disrupted the plans and caused further extension of air bubble flights. The daily number of COVID cases being on a decline, the government issued relaxed guidelines for international arrivals, which has been effective since February 14, 2022, and removed the mandatory RT-PCR testing requirement for fully-vaccinated travelers flying in. The classification of countries as ‘at-risk’ and ‘not at-risk’ has also been rescinded since FEB 14. With the vaccine certificate being a brand-new passport, scheduled international flights to and from India will officially be resumed on March 27, after two years of suspension.

“The recommencement of 100% scheduled international flights is a welcome news for our customers and us. Reportedly, air bubble flights to and from India will be terminated on March 26 (23;59 hrs IST), after long 20 months. We hope the US-India flight tickets will be as normal as it was before the pandemic. Hope last-minute airfares for travel to and from India won’t burn a hole in travelers’ pocket. Despite fares having been exorbitantly high, we provided travelers with competitive deals from our partner airlines,” said the chief travel advisor of Indian Eagle, a leading air-ticketing partner of Indians in America.

The current guidelines for international travelers to India will continue to be effective until further revision. 

Updated on December 5, 2021: India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation has allowed domestic flight operations to be restored to 100% of the pre-pandemic capacity from the current 85%. Given India’s COVID-19 graph on the decline, airlines started operating domestic flights in full capacity with effect from October 18, 2021. Restoring air connectivity between major airport cities and small towns to the pre-pandemic level is one of the pre-set conditions for resuming normal international passenger flights. India-bound international travelers can now reach their final destination in any corner of the country as the pre-COVID capacity of domestic air operations was restored on October 18.

The lifting of the tourist visa ban for foreign citizens is another step towards allowing airlines to resume normal/scheduled flights to India from USA and other countries. The continued suspension of tourist visas kept foreign citizens without an OCI card or an entry visa away from India for the past 18 months. With the country having reopened for foreign visitors on tourist visas, the expected normalization of international commercial flights to and from India will is not far.

Confirming the announcement about the most-awaited resumption of scheduled international flights, inbound and outbound, the Ministry of Tourism’s Additional Director General Rupinder Brar said that India’s air bubble flight operations would be continued till  December 14, 2021. She added that the Ministry of Home Affairs decided on December 15 as the date of resuming scheduled commercial flights on international routes.

Two weeks before the US lifted the entry restrictions after 3 months of deliberating upon certain guidelines, India issued the revised guidelines for seamless entry and arrival of fully-vaccinated, asymptomatic travelers from abroad, starting on October 25. However, India’s guidelines for international arrivals from countries not at risk and countries at risk have again been revised in the wake of Omicron, a COVID variant of concern.  If you are traveling to India on or after DEC 1, these rules will apply to you based on your country of travel origin. 

Simultaneously, the government upgraded the Air Suvidha portal with provision for India-bound travelers to upload their vaccination proof other than a negative RT-PCR test report. It is another significant step towards normalizing international travel to India. According to several reports, the Ministry of Civil Aviation is working on certain guidelines for international commercial flight operations to return to normal.

Currently, inbound travelers’ vaccine certificate and negative RT-PCR report are equally important requirements for exemption from additional testing and quarantine in India. Once the government starts giving preference to vaccine certificates over negative COVID-19 reports, it will be a lot easier for international travelers to arrive in India.

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In 2020, Indian American billionaire Romesh Wadhwani was named for the Padma Shri, one of the highest civilian awards presented by the government of India, in recognition of his philanthropic deeds. Owing to various travel restrictions in the aftermath of the pandemic, he could not travel to India to receive the award. Finally, the Consul General of India in San Francisco presented the Padma Shri to Dr. Wadhwani, on behalf of Indian Government, at the SF Consulate. Shantanu Narayen, the CEO of Adobe, and other Indian American tech behemoths were in attendance at the award ceremony.

A section of Indian Netizens became critical of the government of India over the launch of Vande Bharat Mission flights for repatriation of distressed NRIs from the US and other countries. Their social media commentary was replete with grudges over the half knowledge that NRIs don’t look back once settled overseas and that NRIs hardly do anything for the community back home.

However, US-based Ravi Puli, a Telugu NRI, having recently arranged a private charter flight to send 250 stranded Indians back home from various parts of the US refuted the misconceptions about Indian Diaspora.

In contrast to the popular mistaken belief, Indian-origin billionaire Romesh Wadhwani has come forward with a $26-million investment plan to create 100,000 jobs in India, the third most COVID19 affected country. One of the 10 Indian American richest billionaires, Romesh T. Wadhwani whose net worth is $3.4 billion is investing Rs 2 billion to help his motherland’s 10,000 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) tide over the economic crisis in a phased manner this pandemic.

Picture Credit: Wadhwani Foundation | wfglobal.org

A self-made serial entrepreneur, Romesh Wadhwani is not just the richest Guajarati in America but a noted philanthropist too. The Wadhwani Foundation that he had set up aiming at a fillip to India’s socio-economic landscape has offered to help India’s rural healthcare workers, including Anganwadi workers, improve their knowledge and skills according to the changes brought in by the global COVID19 crisis. In 2012, the Wadhwani Foundation funded a research facility at the National Center for Biological Sciences in Bengaluru, the Silicon Valley of India.

“Without credit inflow and proper consulting support, the short or long-term damage to India’s SME sector will be massive. The Wadhwani Sahayata (Help) initiative will be providing futuristic consulting services to the 10,000 designated SMEs so that they can survive the pandemic and come alive as thriving businesses in the post-COVID19 world. 100,000 jobs will be saved or created in the process,” said Mr. Wadhwani, the founder and CEO of Symphony Technology Group.

California-based Romesh Wadhwani’s ‘The Wadhwani Sahayata’ initiative consists of three goals – Business Stability, Public Health Innovation, and Upskilling.

Initially, 50 SMEs will be helped with modern technology and the best business practices under the Business Stability program starting this August. The number will gradually be increased to 500 SMEs a month, including businesses from startups to companies with revenue up to Rs. 250 million. Reportedly, the Wadhwani Foundation is working on an AI-powered self-service technology platform for SMEs, with mid-2021 being a tentative deadline for the launch.

The Wadhwani Sahayata’s COVID19 Skilling program is empowering India’s public health workers and Anganwadi workers with the fundamental and updated information disseminated through interactive videos on various portals and digital channels. The power of YouTube and WhatsApp is being leveraged to run interactive Q&A sessions and knowledge testing among them. The Wadhwani Foundation’s digital mediums of knowledge will facilitate access to the expert content related to skilling and certification.

A distinguished alumnus of IIT Bombay and Carnegie Mellon University, Dr Romesh Wadhwani will be helping 50 start-ups and early-stage companies with grants ranging between Rs 2.5 million to Rs 10 million to accelerate the pace of technological innovation in India’s public health domain. The Wadhwani Foundation has already released several grants, direct and indirect, as part of the Sahayata Public Health Innovation Program.

Dr Wadhwani whose family had moved to India during the 1947 partition does also support students with various resources required for improving their employability skills. He ranked third among the wealthiest Indian American billionaires on Forbes’ 2019 list. In order to mitigate the COVID19 impact on small and medium businesses in India, the Wadhwani Foundation is partnering with subject matter experts, techies, advisors and mentors.

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The airspace is blue again for international passenger flights. Both India and the United States have further relaxed their respective guidelines for fully-vaccinated international arrivals. Though unlike before, travel between USA and India is still subject to certain regulations. There is a new update every other day in the constantly volatile scenario of international air travel.

We, at IndianEagle.com, a leading travel-booking partner of Indians in USA, keep this space up to date in order to ensure hassle-free travel for you. This article is part of the continued series on the US-India air bubble travel, from departure to arrival, as Indian Eagle is committed to making travel simpler and easier these unprecedented times.

Picture Credit: English-learn-online.com

No RT-PCR tests for children (below 5 years) traveling to India

After 15 months of air bubble flights between USA and India, children under 5 years of age are exempted from taking an RT-PCR test before and after arrival in India. The most sought–after relaxation for children from abroad came into effect on November 12, 2021. Until then, even infants on lap were subject to pre-arrival COVID-19 testing for travel to India.

India resumes e-visa services for most categories

Since the onset of the pandemic in India, e-visa services had been suspended. With effect from March 30, 2021, the Government of India resumed e-visa services in some categories including e-medical visa, e-medical attendant visa, e-business visa, and e-conference visa to India. Those who have obtained an e-visa in any of these categories on or after March 30, 2021 will be allowed entry into India. The visas issued in these categories before March 30, 2021 are redundant.

On November 15, 2021, India started issuing e-Tourist visa, e-Emergency visa, and e-X Misc visa. All tourist visas to India issued before October 6, 2021 are currently invalid. Foreign citizens need to apply for a fresh e-Tourist visa that is valid for 120 days from issuance for a single entry to India. Currently, an e-Tourist visa allows maximum 30 days on stay in India on a single entry.

India’s quarantine rules for international arrivals

The quarantine rules for international travelers to India have been relaxed to a great extent since the revised guidelines took effect on October 25, 2021. There is no institutional quarantine in India unless an international traveler shows symptoms similar to those of COVID-19 and tests positive for the novel coronavirus on arrival.

Even there is no home-quarantine for fully-vaccinated international arrivals in India. The current guidelines for entry to and arrival in India exempt fully-vaccinated overseas travelers from additional testing and home-quarantine. You are eligible for this relaxation only if you are found asymptomatic during thermal screening on arrival at an entry airport in India. Self-health monitoring will apply to you for 14 days.

If you are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated, you are subject to a self-paid RT-PCR test on arrival, 7-day home quarantine and a COVID test on day 8 in India. If the result of the test to be taken on day 8 is negative, you shall only self-monitor your health for the next 7 days.

Airlines that B1/B2 visa holders can travel on from India

Since November 8, 2021, fully-vaccinated B1/B2 visa holders from India have been traveling to the United States; all thanks to the Presidential Proclamation that lifted the #travelban and #entryrestrictions on the premise of vaccination. Indians having a valid US visitor visa do no longer need NIE approval or 14-day stopover in a third country if they are fully-vaccinated with Covishield of Covaxin at least 15 days before their scheduled travel.

However, airline-specific restrictions do still apply to their travel from India. Indian passport holders, except spouses of US citizens, cannot board European airlines for travel to USA from India. It is because of the air bubble agreement with Indian government that British Airways, Lufthansa, Air France and Virgin Atlantic are not onboarding Indian citizens if their final destination is beyond Europe. They can travel on flights from India to USA operated by Air India, United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Emirates, Etihad Airways, and Qatar Airways.

Regulations for travelers from India if Dubai transit time is over 10 hours 

Travelers from India, among the restricted countries, are required to leave Dubai Airport’ terminal if the transit time or layover is over 10 hours in Dubai. In this case, you can apply for Dubai Connect online at least 24 hours prior to your scheduled departure from India. A request for Dubai Connect is subject to the UAE immigration approval. If approved, you will get complimentary accommodation outside the airport, complimentary visa on arrival and free airport transfer service.

If denied, you will have to arrange accommodation outside the airport and must apply for a visa on arrival or have a pre-approved Dubai transit visa. In case you are unable to provide evidence of accommodation (hotel or a friend/relative’s residence in Dubai) outside Dubai Airport (DXB), you are likely to be denied boarding at the departure airport in India.

As per the UAE’s current regulations, travelers from India with the transit time/layover more than 10 hours at Dubai Airport must take a COVID-19 PCR test within 48 hours prior to scheduled departure from India and a (additional) Rapid PCR test at the departure airport within 6 hours of scheduled boarding. These two test reports must be negative and have a QR code.

The above restriction does not apply to passengers from India if the transit time/layover is less than 10 hours.

Indians need International Travel Certificate for flying to USA 

An International Travel Certificate is nothing but proof of vaccination that a fully-vaccinated Indian must have for traveling to the United States. You can download it from the government of India’s CoWin portal. The certificate is compliant with WHO’s digital format for vaccination proof. The vaccine certificate/international travel certificate should specify the vaccine name, vaccine type, vaccine manufacturer, number and dates of the doses administered, other than your date of birth and passport number. Log in to the CoWin portal with your registered phone number, navigate to the ‘International Travel Certificate’ section and click on it. Enter your date of birth (as per the given format) and passport number. Then click on ‘Submit’. The certificate is ready to be downloaded. You can take a printout or carry a soft copy on your mobile device.   

Can PIO cardholders exit India after December 31, 2021? 

PIO cardholders can travel to India before or on December 31, 2021, but they are likely to face issues with return travel from India if their PIO card is not converted into an OCI card by December 31. This is the extended deadline for the PIO to OCI conversion. “Indian Immigration Check Post(s) will continue to consider all PIO cards valid for exit from/entry into India till December 31, 2021 as the last and final opportunity,” according to the Indian Embassy, USA. If you are a PIO cardholder traveling to India, you must enter and/or exit India by the end of 2021.

The same relaxation is in place for OCI cardholders below 20 and above 50 years of age with renewed passports but old OCI cards.   

Travelers from India must have negative COVID reports with QR code

Effective from May 22, 2021, a QR code is mandatory for all negative COVID reports that people traveling out of India need. If you are scheduled to travel to USA or any other country on or after May 22, your negative COVID PCR report must have a QR code linking to the original report. Airlines departing India will not accept negative COVID reports without a QR code, which will result in denial of boarding. This mandate came in view of the incidence of forging negative reports for international travel.

No registration for flights to and from India  

Good news for international travelers flying into and out of India! Now booking VBM flights and air bubble flights is simpler and easier. India’s Ministry of Home Affairs has eased the regulations for passengers of flights under the Vande Bharat Mission and the air transport bubble arrangement. Those planning to travel on Air India’s VBM flights from abroad need not register with the Indian Embassy or consulates in the countries where they are currently residing or stranded. Similarly, travelers booking air bubble flights, inbound or outbound, are no longer required to apply to the Ministry of Civil Aviation. It is enough to fill out a self-declaration form with your details and submit it on Air Suvidha within 72 hours prior to traveling to India.

New Guidelines for Unvaccinated Americans Returning to USA

The United States’ new international air travel system will take effect in November 2021. Accordingly, the COVID-19 testing rules have been amended for unvaccinated Americans, irrespective of age, returning to the country from abroad this November onwards. If you are a US citizen and currently in India, you will have to take a COVID-19 PCR test within 24 hours of your return flight to the US, rather than within 72 hours. On top of that, you will need to purchase a viral test that you will take after arrival in the US. You may be asked for a proof of the purchase at the time of boarding the return flight and/or on arrival in the US. The new guidelines, effective from November 2021, will also apply to children, according to Jen Psaki, the White House Press Secretary.

Unvaccinated Americans traveling back from abroad will self-quarantine for seven full days even though they test negative in the viral test after arrival. However, vaccinated Americans won’t be required to self-quarantine on testing negative after arrival. Whether the amended rules will apply to partially-vaccinated Americans flying back home, is still not clear. What type of a viral test to be bought and taken by unvaccinated US citizens returning from abroad, is yet to be specified by the CDC. Basically, nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) and antigen test are the two types of a viral COVID-19 test.

Delhi Airport’s AI-based COVID testing facility delivers results in 10 minutes

Delhi IGI Airport is home to India’s first and only AI-enabled COVID-19 testing facility. Located in Terminal 3 for international civil flight operations, the new facility can conduct antigen tests on passengers of an entire international flight in a couple of minutes and deliver results in 10-15 minutes. This makes it easier for passengers traveling to destinations, including the United States, which require negative antigen test reports for entry. Some of the passengers of Lufthansa, Air France and KLM have successfully used the facility and got digital reports on their mobile phones. New Delhi Airport’s artificial intelligence-enabled COVID testing facility uses computer vision technology, paper-free backend and scalable node architecture to cater to last-minute testing needs of outbound international flyers.

COVID-19 Test is mandatory for travelers flying into USA

With effect on January 26, 2021, all international travelers flying into the United States must provide a negative RT-PCR test report or valid documentation of recent recovery from COVID-19 at the time of boarding flights for any destination in the US. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requires you to take an antigen or NAAT (nucleic acid amplification test, for example, RT-PCR) test within 3 days prior to your scheduled departure for the US and submit the negative report to the airline. Antibody test reports will not be accepted for entry to the United States. Airlines are directed to deny boarding to those who do not provide a valid negative test report or proof of recovery. The documentation of recovery could be a letter from a certified healthcare provider or a public health official ascertaining that you are safe to travel.

This requirement for traveling to the United States applies to all international travelers, including US citizens and legal permanent residents. The CDC also recommends that international arrivals get tested within 5 days and quarantine themselves (stay indoors) for 7 days after their arrival in the US.

Qatar’s guidelines for transit of travelers from India

Traveling to USA from India via Doha in Qatar? Effective April 29, 2021, Qatar’s guidelines for transit in Doha apply to travelers from India. It requires you to take an RT-PCR test at a medical center/lab approved by the government of India, within 48 hours prior to boarding your flight in India, and produce a negative report at the time of check-in at the departure airport. Failure to comply with this requirement will result in denial of boarding on Qatar Airways flights from India.

Onsite COVID-19 test at Indian airports

Online booking of slots for COVID-19 tests at major Indian airports is available. Currently, the COVID testing facility for international arrivals is available at Delhi IGI Airport, Mumbai CSMI Airport, BLR Kempegowda Airport, Chennai MAA International Airport, and Kochi International Airport, Kerala. Not every passenger arriving from abroad needs to undergo a COVID test at the entry airport. Those arriving into India on nonstop flights from USA and other countries are not required to take a test on arrival provided they carry a negative RT-PCR report uploaded on Air Suvidha. If your flights to India transit in the Middle East, Europe, Brazil, or South Africa, you must take a molecular test on arrival at the entry airport in India.

Lufthansa’s COVID-19 test policy

In September 2020, Lufthansa will be operating 160 round-trip flights to India. In the September schedule of air bubble flights to India, Lufthansa will serve Bengaluru, Mumbai and New Delhi. India’s continued air transport bubble arrangement with the United States and Germany has facilitated the September schedule of Lufthansa flights to India from USA and Canada via Frankfurt or Munich.

A negative COVID-19 test is not mandatory for boarding Lufthansa flights. Only asymptomatic people are allowed to travel on Lufthansa though. However, Lufthansa requires passengers to carry a medical certificate and a negative COVID test report in case they will not be able to keep wearing masks on board due to medical reasons. The conditional exemption to wearing masks during the flight will take effect from September 1 and apply to passengers of Lufthansa group airlines. The COVID-19 test must be taken within 48 hours of undertaking the journey.

India’s new no-fly rule for COVID19 travel

In a zero-tolerance approach to ensuring COVID protection on board, India’s aviation regulator directs airlines to put travelers refusing to cover their face on the no-fly list. If a passenger does not comply with the obligation of wearing a mask or face covering, he/she is likely to be denied boarding or deplaned. They may also be barred from flying for a certain period of time. The crew members of a flight reserve the right to decide who to put on the no-fly list. Several major airlines, including Delta Airlines, have the same ‘no-fly’ policy for passengers amid the COVID19 pandemic. The consequences of ending up on a no-fly list may include a lifetime ban on flying in India.

Hot meals and inflight entertainment are back on board

India’s civil aviation ministry has issued new directives for airlines operating domestic and international flights under the Vande Bharat Mission and the air transport bubble arrangement. As per the new SOP, passengers can be served pre-packed meals, snacks and beverages aboard domestic flights depending on the flight time and the policy of the operating airlines. Airlines operating international flights are also allowed to serve hot meals with limited beverages on board amidst precautions against COVID19. Airlines are directed to ensure that completely disposable trays, plates, cutlery, and containers are used on board. In all travel classes, flight attendants will be serving beverages in single-use disposable units. In-flight beverage-pouring service will continue to remain suspended. They will wear a new set of gloves for serving every meal.

Since international travel resumed under the Vande Bharat Mission, inflight entertainment had remained banned. The latest directives allow inflight entertainment on domestic and international flights. Airlines need to follow certain regulations concerning inflight entertainment, like providing disposable earphones or disinfecting earphones before every flight. With the lifting of ban on inflight entertainment, family travelers won’t have a tough time controlling kids on board.

The post All You Need to Know about Travel between USA and India in 2021: Testing, Vaccination, Quarantine, Exemption appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

Among those trying hard to economize COVID19 treatment worldwide, an Indian American couple – Devesh Ranjan and Kumuda Ranjan – has designed and developed a low-cost emergency ventilator for developing countries including India. The device named Open–AirVentGT, not only affordable but also portable, is all set to undergo the production stage and be available for hundreds of thousands of COVID19 patients with the severe respiratory distress syndrome. One in every six COVID19 patients experiences difficulty in breathing due to pneumonia and other acute complications.

Ventilators and oxygen cylinders fall short of the growing cases of COVID19 in India. With an upward curve of the pandemic during the second wave, India is running out of isolation beds and ventilators. India has nearly 4 million active cases of the novel coronavirus as of May 10, 2021. If the daily active caseload shows no sign of abatement in the coming days, India can’t help but face a deficit in the number of ventilators even though the world has come together to help India tide over the crisis.

Picture Credit: Facebook

The dearth of the lifesaving machine in developing countries urged Devesh Ranjan and Kumuda Ranjan, who live in Atlanta, to devise the low-cost ventilator prototype in just three weeks. Devesh Ranjan is a professor and associate chair in the Georgia Institute of Technology’s School of Mechanical Engineering and Kumuda Ranjan practices as a family physician. Less than $100 is the manufacturing cost of the Open–AirVentGT ventilator that the Indian American couple created. Usually, an ICU ventilator costs USD 10,000 in the USA.

Devesh and Kumuda admit that theirs is not as sophisticated as an ICU ventilator. Affordable care to COVID19 patients in developing economies is the main goal of their low-cost, makeshift ventilator that is expected to make treating coronavirus cases with the severe respiratory distress syndrome easier for doctors. The respiratory distress syndrome is a common complication in the novel coronavirus-affected people, and it makes the lungs stiffen resulting in shallow breathing.

The Open–AirVentGT ventilator uses electronic sensor and gives doctors computer control over key medical health parameters, like respiration rate, pressure on the lungs, oxygen saturation, heartbeats, tidal volume (the amount of air inhaled and exhaled), etc. The easy-to-manufacture ventilator is being produced by an Indian American-headed company in Singapore. A technological upgrade to the ventilator will facilitate remote monitoring of medical health conditions of COVID19 patients.

Also Check: Indian American Prof. Designs Home Test for COVID19 

Dr. Kumuda Ranjan had moved to the United States with her parents when she was 6. She completed her medical training and residency in New Jersey, one of the worst-affected epicenters of COVID19 on the globe. Devesh Ranjan hails from Patna, Bihar. He studied his masters at and earned PhD from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. The couple is sanguine about India’s manufacturing potential and believes that India can become a global exporter of low-cost ventilators to mitigate the worldwide impact of the pandemic.

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The second wave of the pandemic is an opportunity to see the power of India’s unity in diversity. With everyone doing their bit, from the lower economic reaches to the upper, and global support pouring in, India has started waging a war against the pandemic. To be precise, India raised a clarion call for another freedom movement; freedom from the virus, freedom to breathe outdoors, freedom to live a normal life…Those who rose to this occasion within their capacity or beyond their limits are being hailed as India’s #COVIDHeroes, and they should not remain unsung.

An octogenarian whose blood oxygen level had dropped to a low left his hospital bed for a younger patient, whereas families are hopping from one hospital to the other in a frantic search of beds for their loved ones amid the #oxygenemergency. 85-year-old Narayan Dabhadkar from Nagpur managed a bed with his daughter’s efforts. But he left the bed vacant out of empathy for a man, half his age, gasping for air when he saw the man’s wife crying and pleading with the staff of Indira Gandhi Hospital for a bed. He came back home and breathed his last three days later.

He said, “I am 85 now and have lived my life. You should offer the bed to this man instead. His children need him.” He left a lesson for the mankind that empathy is the greatest virtue.

Rasik Mehta and Kalpana Mehta, a couple from Gujarat, made it to the list of India’s #COVIDHeroes for donating INR 15 lakh to save COVID-hit patients gasping for breath. Their only son succumbed to the virus in 2020 when the first wave of the pandemic was at its peak in the country. They unhesitatingly broke the fixed deposit for a premature withdrawal, which they had saved for their son. They also helped more than 200 patients with PPE kits and other preventive materials. Moreover, Rasik and Kalpana Mehta spent on the vaccination of over 350 underprivileged people. They have also lent their car to be used as an ambulance for ferrying patients to hospitals. The Mehtas are being hailed as real heroes during the #secondCOVIDwave in India.

Normally, an Indian farmer cannot even think of decent wedding for his daughter. A farmer named Champalal Gurjar from Madhya Pradesh donated whatever he had saved for his only daughter’s wedding to help a cause – availability of oxygen cylinders for COVID patients with choked lungs. He gave a cheque of Rs 2 lakh to the local administration to keep the supply of medical oxygen uninterrupted in the district hospital. He married off the daughter in a very humble manner and believed that his little contribution towards saving lives would bless her.

The US-returned software tycoon with a net worth of $2.5 billion, Sridhar Vembu, who received a Padma Shri 2021, has joined the bandwagon – India’s fight against the second COVID wave. Nicknamed ‘Barefoot Billionaire’, the Zoho Corporation Founder and CEO is offering over 6000 free meals a day to the need in rural areas of Tamil Nadu. With the urban India’s COVID surge soaring to global records, he calls for decongestion of urban areas and creation of employment opportunities in rural areas. He is also working with several voluntary organizations to help with their food distribution systems. He also arranged for a free vaccination camp in Madurai on April 29.

These #CovidWarriors should not remain unsung heroes in India’s #FightAgainstCOVID19 pic.twitter.com/zEBWIjMDG6

— Indian Eagle (@indianeagle) April 23, 2021

The post India’s COVID Heroes: This 85-year-old Left his Hospital Bed for a Younger Man Gasping for Breath appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

International travel continues to remain the most complicated phenomenon even though we are heading into 2021. In India alone, the entry requirements and quarantine regulations vary from state to state making it difficult for international arrivals during the pandemic. For instance, Chennai and Kolkata require international travellers to arrive with a negative RT-PCR certificate, whereas asymptomatic people flying into Bangalore, Kerala, or Odisha directly from abroad don’t need an RT-PCR test. Normal/regular international travel will not resume until the unprecedented regulations for US to India travel or travel to some other country are eased.

Picture Credit: IATA

A digital travel pass is underway to facilitate safe resumption of air travel across geographies. The IATA Travel Pass is all set for a pilot trial early in 2021. On successful completion of the trial period, the IATA Travel Pass will be implemented worldwide in a bid to end the impasse that currently exists due the scattered information about international travel amid the pandemic. Expected to be a most vital travel app, the travel pass will give seamless access to the information about country-specific entry requirements, visa restrictions, travel regulations, etc. It will also be a key source of information about where and how to take a COVID test for hassle-free travel in 2021.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is a major driving force catapulting international air travel beyond the restrictions and reinstating the flying public’s confidence. The objective of the Travel Pass that IATA worked on in collaboration with International Airlines Group (IAG) is defined as below:

“Informing passengers on what tests, vaccines and other measures they require prior to travel, details on where they can get tested and giving them the ability to share their tests and vaccination results in a verifiable, safe and privacy-protecting manner is the key to giving governments the confidence to open borders.”

IATA says that the Travel Pass will be an all-in-one solution to the chaos existing in global field and that the app will secure the user’s personal information against unauthorized access. Decentralized block chain technology will be used to ensure that the IT infrastructure for the digital travel pass does not integrate a central database and thereby preventing hacking of the user’s personal details. The global implementation of the IATA Travel Pass depends on successful completion of the trial period – which will convince all partners that the app is safe and secure.

“The IATA Travel Pass is expected to be a revolutionary solution both for travelers and aviation authorities. In a country like India where COVID testing guidelines, entry requirements and quarantine regulations are so volatile that we struggle to keep our customers informed about do’s and don’ts related to their departure, transit and arrival. Though we are striving to dish out the latest information through our travel news portal, many travelers are puzzled over what forms to be filled out, what apps to be installed, what portals to register on, what COVID tests are considered valid, etc. Hence, a uniform solution such as IATA’s digital travel pass is a boon to everyone,” said the chief information officer of Indian Eagle.

The Travel Pass in question will also mitigate the risks of importing the Novel Coronavirus once borders reopen for normal international flights. While supporting the travel pass, the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH) has requested Indian Government to revoke the suspension of e-visa and tourist visa for the countries with which India has established an air bubble travel corridor. IATA elaborates on the benefits of its digital travel pass:

“It will travelers to create a ‘digital passport’, receive test reports and vaccination certificates and verify that they are sufficient for their itinerary, and share test reports and vaccination certificates with airlines and authorities to facilitate travel. This app can also be used by travelers to manage their travel documentation digitally and seamlessly throughout their journey, improving travel experience.”

The post A Digital Travel Pass is Underway to Reopen Borders for Normal International Flights Early in 2021 appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

With a steady increase in the volume of passenger traffic on air bubble flights to India, Kerala has eased restrictions and quarantine rules for international arrivals in the unlock 7.0. Kerala is one of the few states to have scrapped mandatory institutional quarantine for asymptomatic international flyers from abroad. All of Kerala’s four international airports – Cochin, Trivandrum, Kannur, and Calicut – are open for international arrivals and departures. However, travel to Kerala is subject to certain regulations before departure and after arrival amid the pandemic.

Before you undertake travel to India    

After booking air bubble flights tickets to Kerala, international travelers need to fill out a self-reporting form on Air Suvidha (download the app or log on to Delhiairport.in), and register their details on Kerala’s COVID Jagratha portal. They are also required to apply for an e-pass and show the same to health officials at the arrival airport in Kerala. Please note the e-pass is mandatory for you to exit the terminal.

Other than filling a self-reporting form on Air Suvidha, you must fill a self-declaration form provided by the Government of Kerala before departure or after arrival.

If Kerala is your first port of entry  

If Kerala is your first port of entry in India, you need not apply for exemption from institutional quarantine on condition of being asymptomatic. It means you don’t need a negative RT-PCR test report for flying directly into Kerala. You will only undergo 7-14 days of mandatory home quarantine as per Kerala’s quarantine rules for international arrivals.

If Kerala is not your first port of entry

If Kerala is not your first port of entry in India and you travel on United Airlines or Air India’s air bubble flight to Kerala via Delhi or Mumbai, a negative RT-PCR certificate is mandatory for taking domestic connection flights to Kerala from the first port of entry, Delhi or Mumbai. You can either travel with a negative COVID test report from the port of origin/departure or get tested upon arrival at the first port of entry, Delhi, Mumbai, or Hyderabad.

RT-PCR Testing for air bubble flights to Kerala  

If you choose to travel with a negative COVID health certificate, you need to take a RT-PCR test and upload the test result to Air Suvidha within 72 hours before undertaking the journey from the port of origin/departure. Those who traveled before or on November 12 had to get tested for the Novel Coronavirus within 96 hours of their scheduled flights to India. It is now 72 hours, according to the Government of India’s new/revised guidelines for international arrivals. Those traveling with a negative RT-PCR certificate are exempted from both institutional quarantine and home quarantine. All they need to do is self-monitoring of their health for 14 days.

After arrival at Kerala airports   

Carrying e-pass from the origin/departure is mandatory for traveling to Kozhikode/Calicut International Airport (CCJ) in Kerala. The airport has no counters to issue e-pass. If you travel to Trivandrum Airport (TRV) without an e-pass, you are likely to be put under institutional quarantine until an e-pass is arranged for you. Luckily, you won’t be sent back. At Cochin International Airport (COK), a handful of international arrivals can register their details manually upon arrival. Kochi Airport has the provision for flyers from abroad to fill the form manually.

Quarantine rules for travelers on a short trip  

A short visit to Kerala is allowed for only 8 days, while you can make a regular visit to the state for only 6 months. Registration on Kerala’s COVID Jagratha portal is equally mandatory even for a short visit. Those on a short visit to the state are exempted from any sort of quarantine. Those on a short trip for any purpose other than tourism don’t have to obey the Kerala’s quarantine guidelines only on condition of being asymptomatic. Currently, tourist visa to India is suspended.

COVID Testing Facility at Cochin International Airport

Cochin International Airport is the first airport in Kerala and the sixth Indian airport to have launched a dedicated COVID testing facility in the airport premises. In addition to international arrivals and departures, the general public can choose to get tested at the airport’s COVID testing facility where both RT-PCR and rapid antigen tests are available. The RT-PCR test results are delivered within 6-8 hours from the time samples are collected. It takes only 15 minutes to provide antigen test results. A RT-PCR test costs Rs 2100 per individual, while a rapid antigen test is priced at Rs 625, as per the fixed rates from the government of Kerala. The 24-hr COVID testing counters are located in the arrival areas of T1 and T3 terminals.

Related to Air Bubble Travel to India

• No Regular International Flights to India till March 2021
• Qatar Airways may Resume US-India Services in December
• All about Travel to and from India in 2020
• How to Book COVID Tests at Airports in India
• Airlines operating US-India bubble flights

The post Air Bubble Flights to Kerala: Departure to Arrival Process, Quarantine Rules, COVID Testing for International Arrivals appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

Like many other Indians, I traveled on one of the air bubble flights from USA to India in the first week of this month (October). I traveled on United Airlines during the international leg of my itinerary from Newark to Vijayawada (AP) via New Delhi, and the domestic leg was operated by Air India. I relied on Indian Eagle for the hassle-free booking of my trip in compliance with the Government of India’s travel regulations for international flyers.

Picture Credit: Vineesha Badabhagni

Upon confirmation of my reservation on United Airlines’ air bubble flights, I received two forms to my registered email ID: one for entering India and the other for entering my home state. The forms needed me to furnish such details as my US contact number, a local contact number in India, my address in the home state, and my declaration that I would undergo 14 days of home quarantine at the final destination. It was easy to fill out the forms, an obligatory part of the new ‘normal’ travel to India. I also filled out a mandatory self-reporting form on Air Suvidha, a dedicated section of the New Delhi Airport website for international arrivals.

I did not register with the Indian Consulate in New York for my travel to India, as this requirement was scrapped by the Government of India in September 2020. Indian Eagle also confirmed in one of their travel news articles that registration with the Indian Embassy/Consulate is not required any more.

Covering your face with a quality mask is mandatory right from the entry to the departure airport until the exit from the destination airport. I kept on wearing a face mask and a face shield throughout my flight. The face shield was provided by United Airlines at the time of boarding. Overall, the flight was smooth and United Airlines’ inflight services were normal.

After I arrived at Delhi IGI Airport and got past the customs, I was asked whether I was COVID-19 negative to continue my onward travel to Vijayawada. You can either take a RT-PCR test 96 hours prior to your scheduled departure from the port of origin (first US airport in your itinerary) or get tested for COVID19 upon arrival at Delhi IGI Airport. As I did not carry a negative RT-PCR test report from Newark and my domestic connection time was as long as 11 hours, I chose to undergo a test at Delhi Airport itself.

I must say New Delhi International Airport has impressive COVID testing facilities. The officials took away my passport, provided me with a face shield, collected my swab, and gave the test report within 5 hours. I got back the passport too. While I waiting for the test result, I got access to a lounge and some refreshments. Social distancing was a must in the lounge. The testing and the lounge service cost me Rs. 5000 in total. As I tested negative, I was allowed to proceed to catch the domestic flight to Vijayawada. Travelers should carry minimum Rs 10,000 in cash or card.

The negative test report helped me get exempted from 7-day institutional quarantine in Vijayawada. At Delhi Airport, one of my hands was stamped indicating the date till which I needed to undergo home quarantine at the final destination. The ink was erased in two days.

Please note the customs and immigration clearance is taking longer than usual due to social distancing at New Delhi Airport. I truly appreciate the airports, the airlines and the respective governments for taking practical measures to make travel safer for us in the current unprecedented times. The most important tip I would like to give is that travelers should have a gap of 8-9 hours between their arrival at a major port of entry and their domestic connection in India. Brace yourself for the new normal of travel with a face mask on amid the pandemic.

More Stories of Travel Experience on VBM and Air Bubble Flights

We at Travel Beats, a leading community portal for Indians in USA, are pleased to have published Vineesha Badabhagni’s US to India travel experience amid the pandemic. Vineesha shared her travel experience with Indian Eagle, a trusted travel-booking partner of Indians in America, and gave her consent to publishing it.

The post I Traveled on United Airlines’ Air Bubble Flight from USA to India This Month. Here’s My Experience appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.