Scheduled international passenger flight services will have to wait for a few more months as countries are still unsure due to the risk of COVID-19 transmission, union civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri told CNBC-TV18 on Thursday.

For next few months, air travel bubbles or bilateral arrangements which translate into limited flight services between two countries under prescribed protocol will be the solution for international travel, Puri said.

"Behavior of virus will determine decision-making of countries," minister added.

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Scheduled international passenger flights have been suspended since March 23 due to the spread of COVID-19. India resumed international flights for repatriation of Indians under Vande Bharat Mission since May 7.

As a second step, India has also started air bubble arrangements and currently has air bubbles with nine countries including the US, UK, France, Germany, Maldives, Canada, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE.

"We may not need more air travel bubbles with other countries of Europe at the moment," Puri said.

In domestic civil aviation space, India has recently allowed airlines to operate with 60 percent fleet.

Also read: India allows airlines to serve meals on board, in-flight entertainment permitted

In the pre-COVID times, there was daily passenger traffic of around 300,000. While the country witnessed domestic traffic of around 30,000 passengers when flights resumed on May 25, this has gradually increased to nearly 120,000 passengers in September, Puri said.

"Expect at least 200,000 domestic passengers per day by Sep-Oct. Expect to see bulk of pre-COVID levels by Diwali or end of November," Puri added.

First Published:Sept 3, 2020 9:18 PM IST