India and Sri Lanka have decided to launch an air travel bubble soon to facilitate connectivity between the two countries that has been disrupted due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Last week, the Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Gopal Baglay, and Tourism Minister of Sri Lanka Prasanna Ranatunga met in Colombo for a talk on resuming the air travel between the two countries under the air bubble.
The Indian government has suggested launching the air travel bubble between Sri Lanka and New Delhi. The Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka presented the proposal, and the discussion was held to discuss the next steps. As a result, proposals were exchanged on the resumption of air flights between the two countries during this air travel bubble, as well as the opening of the country to tourists in conjunction with the two countries' respective health guidelines.
To date, India has signed an air travel agreement with countries including Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Canada, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Iraq, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, Maldives, Nepal, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Rwanda, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Ukraine, and United States of America.
Discussion on development of Palali airport in Sri Lanka
The discussion also centered on the resumption of operations at Palali Airport, which had been stalled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Minister Ranatunga expressed his gratitude to the Indian High Commissioner for India's support of Sri Lanka's tourism industry, saying that the project would strengthen diplomatic ties in the areas of tourism and aviation.
