Canada Extends Ban on Direct Flights from India Until September 21

File photo of an aircraft from Canada carrying COVID-19 relief materials arriving at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi May 14. (ANI photo/Rahul Singh)

TORONTO – Canada on Aug. 9 extended the ban on direct flights from India until Sept; 21 due to risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Canada has extended its ban on direct passenger flights from India until Sept. 21 amid the South Asian country’s enduring struggles to contain the spread of COVID-19 within its borders, Transport Canada said, reported Sputnik.

“Based on the latest public health advice from the Public Health Agency of Canada, Transport Canada is extending the Notice to Airmen that restricts all direct commercial and private passenger flights to Canada from India until September 21, 2021, at 23:59 EDT,” the department said in a statement.

The ban was first imposed on April 22 and has already been rolled over several times. It is the fifth time the ban has been extended.

The ban was set to expire on Aug. 21, but will now remain in place till Sept. 21.