TBM Staff - Mumbai The ministry of Civil Aviation of the Indian Government has decided to lift off the mandate to fill up Air Suvidha form for all international passengers. The decision was made and declared on 21 November.
Air Suvidha is an online system for International passengers to submit a mandatory Self Declaration form to declare their current health status. This form had been made mandatory and all international pasengers entering the country via flights had to fill it before boarding.
Last year, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has mandated contactless self-declaration at Air Suvidha Portal to ensure the smooth passage of international travellers arriving in India.
To ensure the necessary prevention of the Omicron variant of the Covid-19 virus, the exemption forms from the Air Suvidha portal have been discontinued, and filling of the details had been made compulsory for all international passengers arriving in India.
The Air Suvidha portal was launched in August 2020 and has been strengthened to accommodate travel guidelines issued on 30 November 2021.
The Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India had in October asked the government to withdraw the mandatory filing of online Air Suvidha form for inbound travellers as it is hindering growth in tourism as Covid-19 pandemic eases.
The association has apprised Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia about the difficulties encountered by international passengers in a representation, Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) said in a statement.
India had earlier lauded the restrictions at every Point of Entry (PoE) for the succesful fight againsy Covid-19. India’s response to Covid at points of entry was proactive, pre-emptive and graded, the Centre said underlining that effective surveillance at such points delayed the arrival and spread of the disease, giving time for developing the necessary health infrastructure and capacities to effectively handle it, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan had said. (Source Mint)
