Fear of super-rich faking medical flights spurred India ban

India’s sudden decision to ban medical evacuation flights was partly driven by concern that the super-rich may falsely claim they needed treatment so they could jet around the nation during lockdown, people with knowledge of the matter said.

Air ambulances and other medical evacuations are no longer allowed unless treatment can’t be provided at the point of origin, and even then permission to fly is needed from local authorities, the federal aviation ministry and the aviation regulator, the people said, asking not to be named as the decision isn’t public. The move aims to prevent the misuse of flights and ensure enough aircraft are available for emergencies.