India-UAE flights: Travel demand not too high as expats face approval issues

Dubai - Most flights from India to the UAE operate at 60 to 70 per cent capacity, say travel agents

Even as the UAE eased travel curbs for stranded residents, the demand for flights was not “as high as expected”, travel agents have said.

“The pre-travel approval processes are complicated. Furthermore, many have lost their jobs and many are stranded with expired residency visas. However, one of the major issues is that some haven’t taken both doses of their vaccines in the UAE. In some cases, one dose was taken in the UAE and the second in India. These categories of passengers are not approved to travel,” explained Afi Ahmed, managing director of Smart Travels.

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Pre-travel approvals from the Federal Authority of Identity and Citizenship (ICA) continue to be a challenge for a number of UAE-bound travellers.

After applying for approvals on the website, passengers wishing to travel have said they are not receiving a QR code or confirmation on their e-mail. Since travellers are expected to upload their RT-PCR test results on the website, which is time-bound, they are worried the validity of the test will lapse if the ICA approval does not come through in time, residents in India told Khaleej Times.

Merrin Prakash, an Indian expatriate who has been stuck in the Indian state of Kerala since March, said: “As soon as the protocols were announced, I went to a laboratory to do the RT-PCR test. I have an Abu Dhabi visa, so, I need to get the ICA approval. Once I register myself on the website, there is no confirmation and the airlines are not able to assist me either.”

Another passenger, Amoghvarsha, added: “If the confirmation e-mail is not required, maybe the authorities can make that clear to passengers wishing to travel.”

However, Ahmed clarified: “If you upload your details on ICA’s entry confirmation website — https://smartservices.ica.gov.ae/echannels/web/client/guest/index.html#/residents-entry-confirmation and if you receive a ‘green status’, it means the passenger can fly. The second website that asks for the passengers travel details is only a platform to upload necessary pre-travel data.”

Over the past two to three days, fares have stabilised, owing to the lack of demand, the travel agent said.

On August 5, an Air Arabia flight departed for Sharjah from Kochi carrying 69 passengers on board, while Emirates operated a flight to Dubai with 99 passengers, officials at the Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) said.

Since then, most flights from India have been operating at 60 to 70 per cent capacity, according to airline sources.

dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com

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• India