India recently added Japan to its air travel bubble list. This will facilitate the operation of services between the countries by Indian and Japanese carriers. The system allows stranded persons with valid Japanese visas to fly from India to Japan, subject to the Japanese Government’s border controls and other protocols, and vice versa.
Air travel bubble is basically temporary agreements between the two countries that are aiming to restarting commercial passenger services. The new rule was taken in conseridation because of the COVID-19 pandemic the daily commercial flights were suspended.
Airlines will ensure that there is no restriction for any Indian citizen with a valid visa category to enter Japan. Any stranded Indian citizens, all Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders, and individuals with valid visas provided by an Indian mission in any group protected by the guidelines of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). All the people who have the above visa or are cardholders can fly freely between India and Japan.
With this, India’s air bubble agreement now stretches to 13 other countries. These countries being the United States, UK, France, Germany, Canada, the Maldives, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Nigeria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Last month also it was announced by the Union civil aviation minister, Hardeep Singh Puri that they were in talks with 13 countries such as Australia, Italy, New Zealand etc. But out of those 13 countries deal has only been finalized with Japan.
