Approximately three out of every four Indians are opposed to the full-fledged launch of international flights beginning this month’s end, as several countries are experiencing a significant increase in COVID-19 cases.
The survey received 12,618 responses from citizens living in India's 294 districts. According to the survey company, 44 percent of respondents were from tier-1 cities, 35 percent from tier-2 cities, and 21 percent from tier-3, 4, and rural districts.
The announcement came after the overall COVID case count in India fell to less than 5,000 per day, with the test positivity rate falling to less than 0.5 percent.
While many countries around the world reopened following the Omicron variant’s weak impact, countries such as Hong Kong, South Korea, Vietnam, Germany, the Netherlands, France, and Australia are seeing hospitalizations due to a sub-lineage of the Omicron variant.
“Start commercial international flights from all countries as planned,” approximately 25% of citizens said.
Around 41% said commercial international flights should only begin from countries with a “TPR of less than 5%,” while 14% said “TPR of less than 2%.”
According to the survey company, 18% of citizens said “Postpone restarting of all commercial international flights for now,” while 2% did not have an opinion.
“In light of BA.2.2 and related mutations, 73 percent of citizens are opposed to resuming full-schedule commercial international flights on March 27, 2022.”
“The majority of them want the government to restart commercial international flights from countries with test positivity rates (TPR) in the low single digits, i.e., less than 5%, preferably 2%”
“Although the Government maintains that international operations will be subject to strict adherence to the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare guidelines for international travel,” said a statement from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
“However, the operation faces a new challenge as the world, particularly in countries across Europe and Asia, is currently grappling with the more transmissible rise of BA 2.2 sub-lineage of BA 2 variant of Omicron.”
Stay tuned and updated with Aviation a2z. Get notified on your fingertips. Have a wonderful day ahead!
