India repatriation flights start today
Stranded expats can return to UAE from today
Emirates yesterday announced it would be operating special repatriation flights to five Indian cities between July 12-26 to help Indians stranded in UAE to return home.
The flights will be operated to Bengaluru, New Delhi and Kochi, twice daily to each destination, to Mumbai thrice daily and to Thiruvananthapuram once a day between July 12-26.
Flights to Bengaluru and Mumbai are subject to state government approvals.
Etihad Airways will resume a limited number of special flights from Abu Dhabi to six Indian gateways: Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, and Mumbai, between July 15-26. Air Arabia will also be operating special scheduled flights from Sharjah to India. These special flights are dedicated to carrying Indian passengers residing in the UAE back home.
First flight lands in Sharjah
The first flight, an Air India special from Delhi, will land in Sharjah at 10.40am. Both Air India and Air India Express will be landing in Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, while Spice Jet has announced flights to Ras Al Khaimah.
The UAE yesterday announced 403 new cases after conducting 58,000 tests, and 679 recoveries. The authorities have confirmed one death.
Indian expats stranded in India can return to the UAE from today as part of a new 15-day agreement between the two countries.
The first flight, an Air India special from Delhi, will land in Sharjah at 10.40am. Both Air India and Air India Express will be landing in Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, while Spice Jet has announced flights to Ras Al Khaimah.
Press Trust of India (PTI) tweeted yesterday that Indian airline SpiceJet would operate passenger flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Kozhikode and Kochi to Ras Al Khaimah from today till July 26 for eligible ICA-approved UAE residents.
These are the first flights back into the UAE from India since March 19.
Emirates flights
Meanwhile, Emirates announced they would be operating special repatriation flights to five Indian cities from today till July 26 to help Indians stranded in the UAE go home. The flights will be operated to Bengaluru, Delhi and Kochi, each twice daily, Mumbai three times daily and Thiruvananthapuram once a day.
Flights to Bengaluru and Mumbai are subject to state government approval. Flights can be booked on emirates. com, through travel agents, Emirates’ sales offices and the contact centre.
Passengers must meet all the entry requirements of the destination to be allowed to board the flights.
Dubai to Indian cities
Only Indian citizens stranded in the UAE will be allowed to fly from Dubai to the five Indian destinations.
The flights from India to Dubai will be available for UAE nationals and residents with prior entry approval from the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs (GDFRA) for residents of Dubai and ICA approval for residents of other emirates of the UAE.
All passengers travelling from airports in India to Dubai are also required to carry a negative Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) certificate issued by a laboratory authorised by the government of India to be accepted on the flight.
Certificates must be issued no more than 96 hours before departure.
More information for returning UAE residents can be found at https://www.emirates. com/ae/english/help/flyingto-and-from-dubai/