Tokyo:  India and Japan are now a part of the Air-Bubble system wherein registration of passengers with the Indian embassy will no longer be required, the Indian embassy in Tokyo said on Tuesday.

India on Tuesday finally extended its embargo to Japan adding it to the list of countries that have an ‘Air Bubble’ system, a medium introduced amid the coronavirus pandemic to repatriate stranded citizens back to the countries. As a result, the two countries will be operating regular flights between Delhi and Tokyo starting from November 2.

The Indian Embassy in Japan released a statement saying passengers will longer have to register through them for flying internationally. 

“Registration of passengers with the Embassy of India in Japan is no longer required, and bookings should be done directly with concerned airlines,” it read. 

“Air India has announced its Air Bubble Schedule from Delhi to Tokyo, with effect from November 2 to December 28, 2020, and from Tokyo to Delhi with effect from November 4 to December 30, 2020,” the Embassy stated.

‘Air Bubble’ agreements are temporary arrangements between two countries aimed at restarting commercial passenger services when regular international flights are suspended as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. They are reciprocal in nature, meaning airlines from both countries enjoy similar benefits.

Japan is the latest among 13 new countries with whom India has established air bubbles for international flights.

Scheduled international passenger flights have been suspended in India since March 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, special international flights have been allowed under the Vande Bharat mission and the bilateral air bubble pacts formed by India with nearly 18 countries in total, including Ukraine and Bangladesh.