Canada's Flight Ban With India Has Officially Ended & The New Rules Are Here

The Government of Canada has officially ended its ban on direct passenger flights from India, allowing non-essential travel to resume between the two countries.

The flight ban ended at 11:59 p.m. ET on September 26. This means that as of Monday, passengers eligible to enter Canada will be able to board direct flights from India once again.

However, there are still some restrictions in place for anybody hoping to make this journey.

Travellers from India must obtain a pre-departure negative COVID-19 molecular test result from the Genestrings Laboratory, which is located above the metro station in the Airport Connect Building at the Indira Gandhi International Airport. This must be taken within 18 hours before their scheduled departure.

Passengers must show the test result (which will be issued as a QR code) before getting on the plane.

Alternatively, those who have tested positive for COVID-19 can present a positive molecular test issued by a certified laboratory in India. The collection must be dated been between 14 and 180 days before their planned departure.

Passengers who do not meet these requirements will be denied boarding, Canadian federal officials warn.

Those taking an indirect route from India to Canada are still required to provide a pre-departure negative test result from a third country.

The India flight ban was first announced back in April 2021, following an increase in COVID-19 virus variants in the country.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.