“Unfair and discriminatory” – US govt slams Indian repatriation flights

The US government has restricted charter flights from India, accusing it of “unfair and discriminatory practices” by violating a treaty governing aviation between the two countries, Bloomberg has reported.

Air India has been making flights to repatriate its citizens during the travel disruptions caused by the Covid-19 outbreak, but also has been selling tickets to the public, the US Department of Transportation alleged.

At the same time, US airlines have been prohibited from flying to India by aviation regulators there, the department said in its order. The situation “creates a competitive disadvantage for US carriers,” the agency said in a press release.

Air India is advertising a schedule that is more than half of pre-virus operations, the department said. “The charters go beyond true repatriations, and it appears that Air India may be using repatriation charters as a way of circumventing” that nation’s flight restrictions, the U.S. agency said.

The order becomes effective in 30 days.

Indian airlines must apply to the department for authorization before conducting charter flights so that it can scrutinize them more closely, it said. The department will reconsider the restrictions once India lifts restrictions on US carriers, Bloomberg said.

The action against India follows weeks of department restrictions against Chinese airlines after the US agency accused China nation of unfairly banning American carriers in the wake of the virus. On June 15, the US announced it would agree to allow four flights a week from China after it allowed the same number by American carriers.