India’s SpiceJet to operate ‘bubble’ flights to Muscat from Wednesday

A SpiceJet official said the airline will operate the ‘bubble’ flights to Muscat twice a week initially.

The flights to Muscat from Delhi are scheduled to depart at 22.30, while those from Ahmedabad are scheduled to depart at 22.15 (both Indian time).

The return flights from Muscat are scheduled to depart for Delhi at 01.35 and for Ahmedabad at 00.15.

SpiceJet’s move to commence services to Oman is seen in line with India’s attempts to ramp up international flight operations to the Gulf region.

India has already expanded its flight operations to the UAE in a big way under the bubble arrangement, with both UAE and Indian carriers, including SpiceJet, currently operating almost daily services from Dubai and some other cities in the country to multiple Indian cities.

India also has bubble arrangements with Bahrain and Qatar.

India also allowed repatriation flights from most of the countries in the Gulf region under its Vande Bharat Mission (VBM) programme.

Under India’s ‘bubble’ arrangement with Oman, Omani and Indian carriers are permitted to operate flights between India and Oman to carry certain specified categories of passengers.

Indian nationals holding valid residency permit of Oman and destined for Oman only can travel from India, while Indians stranded in Oman, all overseas citizen of India (OCI) cardholders holding passports of Oman and Omani nationals, including diplomats, holding valid visa issued by an Indian Mission in any category are allowed to travel from Oman to India in the bubble flights.

Airline industry sources said more Indian carriers are expected to announce flights to Muscat in the coming days under the bubble arrangement.

So far, India has entered into ‘air bubble’ arrangements with a total of 16 countries, including the US, the UK, Canada and Germany.

India has suspended scheduled international flight services since March 23 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.