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India-UAE travel: Suspension on inbound passenger flights until July 15, says Emirates

Dubai - Ticket bookings open for passengers wishing to travel from July 16 onwards.

Dubai’s flagship carrier Emirates Airlines has made tickets available for passengers wishing to travel from India to UAE from July 16 onwards, Khaleej Times can reveal.

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A day after the carrier said all inbound passenger travel from India would remain suspended indefinitely, the airline updated the travel section on its website late Friday night stating that inbound passenger suspension from India would remain until July 15.

However, the dates are subject to change as the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) in the UAE continues to maintain that inbound passenger traffic from India will remain suspended until further notice. In a statement to Khaleej Times on June 26, an official with GCAA confirmed that the inbound traffic suspension from India will remain indefinite. The ongoing suspensions have been in place since April 24.

The most recent update from the airline also comes in a day after the National Crisis and Emergency Management Authority (NCEMA) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC) said UAE citizens are prohibited from travelling to India.

NCEMA has barred UAE nationals from travelling to Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Bangladesh, Namibia, Zambia, Vietnam, Congo, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Uganda as well. Exempt from the decision are the UAE diplomatic missions in the above-mentioned countries, emergency treatment cases, official delegations, and previously authorised business and technical delegates.

Currently, thousands of residents are stranded in India and Pakistan desperate to return to their families and jobs in the UAE. Many have returned to the UAE on private business jets and by quarantining in other countries such as Uzbekistan, Armenia, Turkey, and Kyrgyzstan to name a few examples.

Emirates Airlines said on Friday, “Emirates has suspended all passenger flights from India until July 15, 2021. Furthermore, passengers who have transited through India in the last 14 days will not be accepted to travel from any other point to the UAE.”

Exemptions are in place for UAE Nationals, holders of UAE golden visas and members of diplomatic missions who comply with the revised Covid‑19 protocols. However, the airline has advised passengers to hold their tickets for a future flight or re-book to another date.

dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com​