OTTAWA - Direct passenger flights to Canada from India are resuming today as Transport Canada lifts a months-long ban imposed due to high COVID-19 case counts.

In a post on Twitter, Transport Canada says direct flights from India can land in Canada, but travellers must have a negative COVID-19 test from an approved laboratory at the New Delhi airport no more than 18 hours before their departure.

Air Canada flight data shows that a direct flight from Delhi landed at Toronto's international airport early this morning.

The federal department announced in a news release last week an extension to the ban on all direct commercial and private passenger flights to Canada from India through last Sunday.

The department said that following the end of the ban, airlines would be checking travellers' COVID-19 test results and confirming that fully vaccinated passengers had uploaded their information to the ArriveCAN mobile app or website.

Travellers who come to Canada from India via an indirect route must obtain, within 72 hours of departure, a negative COVID-19 molecular test from a third country, other than India, before continuing their journey to Canada.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 27, 2021.