Emirates announces resumption of flights from India as Dubai lifts Covid ban

Shubham Ghosh

AVIATION giant Emirates on Sunday (20) announced it will resume flights from India from next week after Dubai lifted a ban which was imposed when coronavirus cases surged.

The United Arab Emirates suspended all flights from India, including those for transit passengers – in April to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

“We will resume carrying passengers from South Africa, Nigeria and India... from June 23,” Emirates declared in a statement.

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A day before, Emirates said only passengers from India “with a valid residence visa and who have received two doses of a UAE-approved vaccine” would be allowed to travel to the Middle Eastern nation. They would also need a negative PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test taken within 48 hours of departure, a rapid test for hours before departure and another PCR test on arrival with “institutional quarantine” required till the results are received.

Rules for transit passengers not specified

Authorities in Dubai though did not specify the rules for transit passengers and Emirates did not say whether the transit passengers could fly to third nations via Dubai.

Some 300 flights were operating between India and the UAE before the ban came in April, making it one of the busiest air corridors in the world.

Some 3.3 million Indians live in the UAE, making up a third of the country’s population and most of them are based in Dubai.

Some Indians who had been stranded at home during the coronavirus surge had rented private jets to fly back to the UAE, which had exempted private jets.

The Khaleej Times said in an editorial published Monday (21) saying the resumption of the flights marked a triumph for diplomacy between the two nations. It said the UAE and India share a close strategic and cultural partnership and it was evident the way the issue of suspension and resumption of flights has been handled by both the countries. It said both the UAE and India agreed that health remains a priority during the pandemic and balance with livelihoods needs to be maintained.