British Airways Set to Resume Flights Between Chennai and London Starting Today

British Airways has announced the resumption of international flights between London and Chennai from today. The route was not operational after British Airways stopped flights in May last year due to the ongoing pandemic. The flights were operating under the Air Bubble agreement between the two countries that was formed in mid-2020 amidst the pandemic.

British Airways’s statement said the flights on London-Chennai route will operate on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday while the services on Chennai-London route will operate on Monday, Thursday and Saturday. Scheduled international flights have been suspended in India since March 23, 2020, due to the pandemic.

“The return of this direct flight from Chennai to the UK is really important in reuniting people with their loved ones who have been kept apart due to Covid," the airline mentioned.

The United Kingdom recently moved India from ‘Red’ to ‘Amber’ list allowing fully vaccinated passengers from India to enter the nation without getting compulsory 10-day hotel quarantine. India was put in the Red List under the Britain’s traffic light system for international travel stopping all travel from India, and mandatory 10 days institutional quarantine for expats returning home.

With the new travel advisory, the demand on the India-UK route has increased multifold and British Airways recently said that it has increased flights between India and the UK. Starting August 16, 2021, flight services have been increased from 10 to 20 per week.

The airline said that the decision came after the UK government moved India to “amber list" and the Indian government allowed UK carriers to operate additional flights, increasing the weekly cap from 15 to 34 per week.

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British Airways now operates 20 direct return flights across Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad to London, Heathrow. Under the ‘amber list’ passengers must take a COVID test three days before departure and book in advance for two COVID tests to be taken upon arrival in England as well as complete a passenger locator form on arrival. Home quarantine for 10 days is also mandatory.

“These flights will not only reunite several people who have been kept apart from their loved ones due to Covid-19, but also provide convenient options to eligible students to connect to the UK and US on the airlines’ codeshare partner American Airlines."

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