India and Nepal will begin operating flights under an air bubble, with Nepal finally agreeing to India's proposal.
India had proposed an air bubble quite some time back, but Nepal didn't agree. During the visit of Foreign Secretary Harshvardhan Shringla to Nepal in late November, he had emphasised to the Nepali leadership the importance of maintaining people-to-people connectivity, keeping in mind the special relations between the two countries.
Indians, Nepalese, OCI/PIO card holders of all nationalities and all valid Indian visa holders (except tourist visa) will be eligible to fly under the arrangement. Initially, there will be one flight daily from each side between Delhi and Kathmandu. India will be operating an Air India flight, which during the pandemic operated a daily flight between the two capitals.
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The air bubble arrangement will follow medical protocols as is being done with other countries, which includes RT-PCR test report from 72 hours prior to travel.
During the pandemic, India kept its borders with Nepal open. However, Nepal restricted movement. Nepali leadership had vocally blamed India for spreading the virus to its land.
India, however, through its Vande Bharat mission, had helped repatriate several Nepali nationals stranded in foreign lands.
