schengen: Brexit fallout: Indians just can’t fly EU carriers to British isles devoid of transit Schengen visa

NEW DELHI: The resumption of regular worldwide flights has thrown up a new phenomenon. Indians intended to vacation to the Uk on European Union (EU) carriers like Lufthansa, Air France and KLM by transiting by way of these airlines’ hubs at Frankfurt/Munich, Paris and Amsterdam, respectively, are becoming denied boarding at the origin in India if they do not have a transit/typical Schengen visa. Rationale: Write-up Brexit, the EU has made a decision to “punish” the Uk by insisting non-EU citizens have to have a transit Schengen visa to fly to the British isles on transit flights of its carriers, say top rated airline officers.
Interestingly, Switzerland — which is not a portion of the EU — is spared of this rule for its airline Swiss. Folks likely from India to the Uk on one particular-prevent flights can do so by way of areas like the Gulf and Switzerland without having demanding a transit visa for these locations. The other option stays non-end flights of Air India, Vistara, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic.
The modify, say airline officials, took area in the center of the pandemic from January 1, 2021. At that time, India experienced a bubble process for global connectivity with stringent disorders on which nationalities can vacation which flights in conditions of taking one particular-stops. The bubble program in essence was for point-to-place journey involving India and other countries with conditional connections authorized to some. So at that time, travel concerning India and the British isles took place mainly on immediate flights or through destinations like the Gulf whose airlines did not strictly comply with the no-transit rule for Indian travellers.

Now as standard flights resumed, quite a few travellers — these without the need of transit Schengen visas and booked on Lufthansa, Air France-KLM to fly from India to the British isles — are remaining caught off guard when denied boarding at the origin airport in India.
Will they get a refund?
“Passengers ought to be knowledgeable of the vacation requirements, so refund depends on the ailments of the ticket purchased,” reported an EU airline official.
Frightened of losing organization, some EU carriers are learnt to have requested foreign governments to elevate this concern with the Union. Just after the resumption of scheduled worldwide flights by India, overseas airways can once again offer a single-stops among India and rest of the globe.
This just one-end business enterprise has significantly absent up on India-US-India sector after Russia’s war on Ukraine. Owing to for a longer time routes and pricey jet gas, US provider United has diminished India non-stops by fifty percent Delta has not resumed India flights it experienced suspended in March 2020 and American has only one particular daily (Delhi-New York). Till its fleet is augmented, Air India claims it simply cannot incorporate much more non-stops to the US. As a final result, the Gulf and European are finding a large amount of organization for this route.
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