The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has prolonged its suspension of flight services from India to seven emirates till July 6.
The movement of passengers, excluding UAE nationals, diplomats, and holders of the UAE golden visa, to Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Umm al-Qaiwain, Fujairah, Ajman and Ra's al-Khaimah—the seven emirates of UAE—from India has also been suspended till July 6.
“General Authority of Civil Aviation, UAE, has suspended all inbound passenger movement to the UAE from India, (excluding UAE nationals) till 6th July 2021,” Air India Express, the low-cost carrier of the national carrier Air India, said in a tweet.
Air India Express has said passengers who had booked to travel in that period could reschedule their tickets.
The extension of the ban on fight operations to India by the General Authority of Civil Aviation is in view of the prevailing situation due to COVID-19. The ban is applicable to major UAE carriers Emirates and Etihad.
The ban was initially imposed on April 25, after a surge in COVID-19 cases in India and later extended to June 30. The extension of the ban on the entry for travellers from India has disappointed Non Resident Indians (NRIs) working in the seven emirates, their families, and transit passengers moving via the hubs in the UAE.
Exemption has been given to cargo flight operations between two countries. Foreign carriers operating to India have scaled down the inbound flights, as those coming will not be able to return to the UAE.
Hundreds of Non Resident Keralites working in the U.S. and the U.K. and their families, students who had gone abroad for higher studies, and others will have to wait to fly via the hubs in the UAE. Those returning to the U.S. and Europe are now moving through Mumbai and Delhi international airports and other hubs.
Foreign airline sources said they would be operating inbound flights as per the ‘Air Bubble’ pact for the time being, but outbound flights would not ferry passengers.
