UAE-India aviation pact will help revive confidence in the sector

Lives came to a standstill when aviation links were cut in March.

The UAE-India aviation agreement that allows repatriation flights to carry stranded Indians with UAE residence visa back to the emirates could help revive aviation in both the countries. Under the deal, UAE carriers can also join repatriation efforts for 15 days. The humanitarian and commercial pact proves the depth of the strategic partnership between the two countries. This agreement could pave the way for air bridges between the two countries during the pandemic, a bubble in which flights can operate keeping passenger safety in mind. This interim deal is significant as it opens a range of possibilities from which both UAE and Indian carriers like Emirates, Etihad, and Air India can benefit in the medium and long-term. During this period, Emirates will fly ten daily repatriation flights to five Indian cities and Etihad will be connecting to six Indian destinations. After this two-week window, more flights could be planned on safe sectors which can then be extended to more destinations as cases decline. For now, families separated by the pandemic can be reunited and people can return to work in the UAE as the two countries draw up a framework to get their planes flying again on a reciprocal, humanitarian and also commercial basis.

Lives came to a standstill when aviation links were cut in March. The Indian government’s Vande Bharat repatriation mission, which is now in its fourth phase, has done well to help more than 125,000 Indian expats fly home from the UAE but flights by Air India Express were flying empty to the UAE. With the new agreement, Indian carriers would be able to fly passengers to the UAE too, which would help the airlines earn revenue and ease the stress of stranded residents. With more than 3.5 million Indians calling the UAE their second home, the India-UAE route is the busiest in the region. Before Covid-19 disrupted life, over 1,050 flights operated weekly between India and the UAE. Had the pandemic not brought the sector to a grinding halt, the UAE was keen to secure more rights to India and talks between the two countries were progressing well. The pandemic has grounded planes who are spending more time in the hangar. The aviation sector has been the worst hit globally, along with tourism. Many airlines are filing for bankruptcy, others are seeking bailouts from governments. Around 25 million aviation jobs are at risk globally. Emirates airlines, the world’s biggest long-haul carrier, has cut 10 per cent of its staff, and is expected to let go of more staff. India and the UAE can work together to bring confidence back to the industry by resuming international operations and connecting more people.