Australia’s Qantas today relaunched flights to Delhi from Sydney, marking its first commercial flight to India in almost a decade. Qantas is operating three weekly return flights from Sydney to Delhi, which will be increased in January, as well as four weekly return flights from Melbourne starting from 22 December. The carrier says this is the first time it has operated a commercial service to India since the end of its Brisbane-Mumbai service in 2012, and is also its first regular passenger flight from Australia to Delhi since 1974. Qantas domestic and international chief executive Andrew David says that demand for flights between Australia and India has "surpassed the airline’s expectations". The airline says that all passengers on its international flights are required to be fully vaccinated, unless they are under 12 years of age or are 12-17 year olds travelling to Australia with their family or guardian or have an exemption. Over the past 12 months, Qantas says it operated more than 60 repatriation flights on behalf of the federal government flights to bring Australians home from India.

UK aviation industry bodies have reacted with alarm to the government's decision to bring back mandatory pre-departure Covid-19 testing requirements from 7 December. The UK Department for Transport announced on 4 December that from 04:00 on 7 December, anyone aged 12 and above wishing to travel to the UK must show proof of a negative PCR or lateral-flow test result taken no earlier than 48h prior to departure. The government also added Nigeria to its travel red list from 04:00 on 6 December. The measures are "temporary" and are being implemented in response to Covid-19's new Omicron variant, says the government. They will be reviewed on 20 December. UK Airport Operators Association (AOA) chief executive Karen Dee has described the latest travel restrictions as "a devastating blow" for aviation and tourism. "Pre-departure tests act as a major deterrent to travel and most of the limited remaining demand following the reintroduction of self-isolation will now fall away, just as airports were hoping for a small uplift over the Christmas holiday," states Dee. "Travel and aviation are the only sectors hit with any operating restrictions in response to the Omicron variant." She adds that the UK and devolved governments "should have done the right thing" and "announced support for our businesses and our staff to get through another period of shutdown". British Travel Association (BTA) chief executive Clive Wratton says the introduction of pre-departure testing "with little warning" is a "hammer blow" to the industry. Wratton is calling for state support to be provided to the sector, and says that "above all, the government must talk to the industry and give us an exit plan that ensures the survival of our sector". The UK is among a number of countries to have reintroduced travel restrictions in response to the Omicron variant. The US government announced on 2 December that it was tightening pre-departure Covid-19 testing timelines for inbound international travellers, regardless of nationality. The timeframe is being reduced to 24h prior to departure, whereas previously incoming vaccinated non-US citizens had to show proof of a negative result from a test result taken three days before departure.

Oman’s Civil Aviation Authority has initialed a comprehensive air transport agreement with the European Union and its member states, a first step in a five-year implementation leading to "a fully formalised open skies accord". Oman Air says the agreement paves the way for Oman to increase flight frequencies on existing European routes and add other European destinations for the airline and budget carrier Salam Air. Moreover, the agreement will allow EU airlines to fly to all Omani airports from their home country or from any other EU member state. Currently, Air France and KLM are the only EU airlines that fly direct to Muscat International airport. Besides market access, the agreement also contains provisions on a number of other important aspects of aviation including commercial opportunities, doing business, safety, security, air traffic management, environment, fair competition and social aspects. The agreement, which comes after nearly two years of negotiations, strengthens both parties’ commitment to fair access to markets for Oman and all EU member states. Oman holds bilateral third and fourth air freedom rights with several EU member states, including France, Germany and Italy. Both sides will now initiate their respective internal procedures in preparation for the signing of the agreement. Oman Air says since Oman’s reopening to fully vaccinated arrivals in September this year, it has reinstated a number of its pre-pandemic European routes including London, Paris, Zurich and Munich. The carrier says it is "confident" that remaining paused routes will resume in early 2022, as global vaccination rates continue to increase and entry restrictions ease.