Residents with permits allowed to book tickets

Air India Express opens long-awaited bookings from India

Air India Express has opened ticket bookings for flights from India to the UAE from July 12 to 26, Gulf News can reveal. The carrier posted the announcement on its social media pages.

“INDIA to UAE — Flights are open for sale! Bookings could be made through our website (http://airindiaexpress.in), call centre or authorised travel agents. Visit http://blog.airindiaexpress.in for more details,” the budget airline tweeted.

A clause mentioned in the flyer attached to the post added that only UAE residents with permits to return from India can book flights.

Thousands of Indian expats have been waiting to book flights back to the UAE after being stuck home for about four months due to the Covid-19 travel restrictions.

Meanwhile, Air India announced that the evacuation flights between India and the UAE will be operated under the Vande Bharat Mission, which repatriates stranded Indians from the UAE. The airlines announced this on Twitter under a post “#FlyAI: Important Information for ICA approved UAE residents who wish to travel to UAE on Vande Bharat Mission flights.”

A flyer attached to the post addressed passengers who wish to travel to UAE on flights being operated under Vande Bharat Mission by Air India and Air India Express in pursuance of agreement between Civil Aviation authorities of India and the UAE.

“AI and AIE operating evacuation flights to Indian citizens from the UAE to India will carry ICA approved UAE residents (returning to the UAE from India) on the outward journey from India to the UAE.”