Canada Suspends Flights from India

On April 22, 2021, at 11:30 p.m. (EDT), the Government of Canada suspended flights from India for a period of 30 days.

Due to the disproportionally higher number of cases among individuals traveling on flights originating from India and Pakistan (by monitoring case data, and through mandatory testing upon entry into Canada), the Public Health Agency of Canada has announced additional measures:

  • Transport Canada has issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) to air operators to temporarily suspend all commercial and private passenger flights from India and Pakistan for 30 days, effective 23:30 EDT April 22, 2021.
  • The Minister of Transport will amend the Interim Order Respecting Certain Requirements for Civil Aviation Due to COVID-19, which means for passengers who depart India or Pakistan to Canada after 23:30 EDT April 22, 2021, via an indirect route, they will need to obtain a negative COVID-19 pre-departure test from a third country before continuing their journey to Canada.
  • These measures will help manage the elevated risk of imported cases of COVID-19 and variants of concern into Canada during a time of increasing pressure on our health care system.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, has been increasing its travel restrictions. Over the past few months, the Government of Canada introduced enhanced testing requirements for travelers arriving in Canada. These requirements include mandatory submission of contact, travel, and quarantine information via ArriveCAN, pre-departure (air) or pre-arrival (land) testing, on-arrival testing, and again later during the 14-day mandatory quarantine period.

The Government of Canada also put in place more stringent criteria for suitable quarantine plans and a mandatory hotel stopover for travelers arriving by air while they await the results of their on-arrival test before completing the rest of their mandatory 14-day quarantine period.

This does not come as great news for new immigrants as there will definitely be a halt to incoming immigrants. The Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Marco E. L. Mendicino has made the following comments:

“As we have shown since the onset of the pandemic, our government will never hesitate to take decisive action to protect the health and safety of Canadians. At this difficult moment, we thank those planning to come to Canada for their patience and understanding, in particular travelers from India and Pakistan who want to start a new life here. We look forward to welcoming affected travelers to Canada once it is safe to do so.”

 

Who is Exempt from the Travel Restrictions?

Foreign nationals, including United States (US) citizens, can travel to Canada only if they’re eligible

 To be eligible to travel to Canada as a foreign national, you must meet the requirements for one of the following: