Canada Has Extended The India/Pakistan Flight Ban For Another Month

Transport Minister Omar Alghabra announced on Friday that the India/Pakistan flight ban in Canada will be extended until next month.

In a press conference, Alghabra said the ban will continue until June 21 due to the "elevated risk" of imported cases of COVID-19 and variants of concern into Canada.

"I can say that we have seen a significant reduction in the number of positive cases of COVID-19 arriving from international flights since this restriction was put in place," Alghabra said at the conference.

The flight ban, which was set to expire on Saturday, May 22, was originally instituted on April 22 and applies to all direct flights to Canada from India and Pakistan.

Passengers can still come to Canada from those countries if they travel via another country first, but they must have a negative COVID-19 test from their last point of departure and follow other travel guidelines.

Canada's travel restrictions

Currently, travellers flying into the country must follow Canada's travel restrictions and stay at a quarantine hotel for at least three nights.

The travellers must foot the bill, which costs around $2,000 depending on location. People landing in Canada must also take three COVID-19 tests: one before they board their flight to Canada, a test upon arrival and a test during their two-week mandatory quarantine period.

All air passengers must follow the quarantine regulations, even if they've been fully vaccinated and aren't showing symptoms.