Many Indians Refused Boarding Their Flights to the UK Because of a Shortage of Transit Schengen Visas

Dozens of Indian people have been denied boarding planes to the UK with a transit stop in the Czech Republic, France, Germany, or Spain lately. European Union registered air carriers such as Lufthansa, Air France, and KLM, which conduct flights from India to the UK with a layover in one of these four European Union nations, are no longer allowing Indians who do not have a Transit Schengen Visa or some other type of legitimate Schengen Visa to board these flights. Based on a story in the Times of India, Mihikaa Bhaskar, a 25-year-old student trying to pursue her master’s degree at a London institution, is among those afflicted. Mihikaa had traveled back to her home in Kasturinagar, Bengaluru, on Mar 16 to spend Easter with her parents. However, Mihikaa was denied boarding on Lufthansa aircraft LH 755, which she had reserved in advance at Kempegowda International Airport, in her bid to return to the UK to finish her studies. “They stated they couldn’t let me board my flight because, as an Indian citizen, I required a transit visa for my two-and-a-half-hour layover in Frankfurt before flying out to London.” “I tried reminding them that I had a valid UK residency permit and didn’t have to deal with the transit visa issue on my flight from London to Bengaluru through Frankfurt, but they weren’t interested,” Mihikaa recalls of her encounter. As a result of the stumbling block, she was obliged to schedule a ticket to London through Bahrain. Mihikaa is only one of several Indian nationals, most of whom are international students, who have encountered this issue recently. The obligation stems from the UK’s withdrawal from the EU on Dec 31, 2020, making it a third nation in the European Union. The airline companies have not said why the rule was implemented. A Transit Schengen Visa allows visitors to halt and wait at an airport’s international transit area for their aircraft to their traveling destination. However, the Schengen Region’s 26 member nations’ visa regulations are aligned. As a result, the Member Countries have various requirements for who requires a transit Schengen Visa. For example, transiting through Germany and Spain requires a transit visa for Indian nationals, not Austria, Denmark, or Belgium.   Have you experienced problems boarding your flight? Tell us about your experience in the comment section.