US restricts Vande Bharat Mission flights citing ‘unfair practices’

Citing “unfair and discriminatory practices “, the US Transportation department has decided to restrict Air India’s  repatriation services. According to U.S officials, the  government of India has been engaging in “unfair and discriminatory practices” on charter air transportation services to and from India.

The U.S officials has also instructed the Indian National career Air India  to obtain a prior approval for conducting charter flights services.

Accusing India of “unfair and discriminatory practices” U.S transportation department said that the Air India Ltd. has violated the regulations as they were selling tickets to the public, even though they only have the permission to conduct repatriation services.

At the same time, US airlines have been prohibited from flying to India by aviation regulators there, the DOT said in its order. The situation “creates a competitive disadvantage for US carriers,” the Transportation Department said in a press release.

Air India is announcing a schedule that is more than half of pre-virus operations, the department said. “The charters go beyond true repatriations, and it appears that Air India may be using repatriation charters as a way of circumventing” that nation’s flight restrictions, the US agency said.

As per the new order Indian airlines must apply to the DOT for authorization before conducting charter flights so that the department can scrutinize them more closely. The department will reconsider the restrictions once India lifts restrictions on US carriers.

The move against India has come weeks after imposing the DOT restrictions against Chinese airlines as according to U.S. agency China has unfairly banned American carriers in the wake of the virus.