Long wait is over, say Dubai’s first tourists
13 INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES RESUME SCHEDULED FLIGHTS
Dubai Airports yesterday welcomed the resumption of scheduled operations by foreign carriers at Dubai International (DXB). A total of 13 international airlines resumed scheduled flights as Dubai opened its skies and arms to tourists effective July 7.
Airlines resuming operations at DXB include Air Blue, Air France, Cebu Pacific, EgyptAir, Ethiopian Airlines, Gulf Air, KLM, Lufthansa, Mahan Air, Middle East Airlines, Pakistan International Airlines, Philippine Airlines and Royal Jordanian with more expected to join later. In addition to foreign carriers, DXB-based Emirates airline and flydubai have boosted their schedules.
Emotional reunion
On Wednesday night, Canadian national Kayla, 26, broke into tears and tightly embraced her parents and younger sister after seeing them at the arrivals area of Dubai International Airport Terminal 3.
Originally from Nova Scotia, Kayla was one of the first tourists who arrived in Dubai after the city opened to international visitors on July 7.
“I was supposed to come and visit my family in March but Covid happened,” Kayla told Gulf News. “I had to wait for three months before flights resumed, but finally I’m here in Dubai,” she added.
Kayla said the timing of her visit could not have come at a better time as her sister, Abby, will be celebrating her 17th birthday on today. And Abby said it was the best gift having the family complete on her birthday.
Like Kayla, Egyptian student Mohammad Al Jamal, 19, was on the same Emirates flight (EK242) from Toronto to Dubai.
Originally scheduled to come to Dubai on April 26, Mohammad a business management student at Simon Fraser University, was stuck for three months in Vancouver.
“But it took us only three hours to get his (Mohammad) travel documents ready and approved after the government announced visitors can now come to Dubai,” Yasser, Mohammad’s father, told Gulf News.
Mohammad, who travelled for over 26 hours from Vancouver to Toronto and Dubai, also shared the process was fast at the immigration. He got his negative test result a couple of days before flying to Dubai. He also filled out a health declaration form, stating he is healthy and he has insurance that can cover the cost of any Covid-19 treatment should he become ill. And he also downloaded the Al Hosn (coronavirus) tracing app.
More students arrive
Earlier, Kapil Lamba, whose son Pranay arrived on July 7 night from New York, said, “I called Emirates and arranged his tourist visa through the airlines.” Pranay is a final year mechanical engineering student at the Florida Institute of Technology in Orlando.
Dr Sateesh Rao, general practitioner with a private clinic in Dubai, said he was grateful Dubai Airports had opened for visitors. His son Adithya, who is a medical student at the American University of Antigua, was initially supposed to return to UAE on March 17, but was stranded due to the suspension of UAE flights. He finally made it on July 7 from New York. “My wife and I are part of a group of parents who have been trying to get our children back to the UAE. We were extremely worried as they did not have UAE visas. We thought they would be stuck endlessly. All this has come to an end.”
Aryan Malik, who also came on a tourist visa from New York on the same flight, reunited with his parents. The second year student at UC San Diego studying computer science and Maths was happy to be home. “It’s great to come back and see my parents. Regarding Covid-19 tests, students were given the option of doing it 96 hours before departure or take the PCR test on arrival in Dubai. I did both. I am still awaiting my US test results, but the one take in Dubai airport came negative.”