India, Bhutan transport bubble operationalised

India and Bhutan air transport bubble for easier movement of people between the two neighbouring countries has been operationalised. Bhutan is the third country in South Asia with which India has a transport air bubble.

It already has a transport air bubble with Afghanistan and Maldives. The Maldives was the first country in South Asia with which India established transport air bubble.

India's envoy to Bhutan Ruchira Kamboj in a tweet announced, "#TransportBubble is ready to go! Flights between Bhutan and India have commenced and are ready to facilitate effortless travel."

Druk Air, which is the flag carrier of Bhutan, operated the first flight from Paro to Bagdogra in West Bengal on October 1. This is going to benefit around 4,000 Bhutanese students who are enrolled in Indian universities.

India is in talks with other of its neighbours -- like Sri Lanka and Bangladesh -- for transport air bubbles.

Globally, India has transport air bubbles with 16 countries, including the United States, United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates -- focus being countries with huge Indian communities or diaspora.

A transport bubble is a temporary arrangement aimed at restarting commercial passenger services amidst the COVID pandemic. International flight travel has been majorly impacted due to COVID crisis, and as part of restarting the travel, transport air bubbles have come as a solution. These transport arrangements are reciprocal in nature.