UAE companies must fund charter flights to India, 7-day quarantine

For chartering any flight, a tentative passenger manifest and details of the flight are required to be sent to the Consulate via e-mail.

The cost for charter flights as well as the seven-day institutional quarantine must be borne by the organisation or company hiring the chartered flight, the Consulate General of India in Dubai announced via a tweet on Thursday.

For chartering any flight, a tentative passenger manifest and details of the flight are required to be sent to the Consulate via e-mail. The request must be sent a week in advance, said the Consulate.

Organisations have been instructed not to accept ticket and other charges from the passengers until final approval is conveyed by the Consulate for such flight(s).

As India has permitted private aircraft, charter flights for repatriation amid the Covid-19 pandemic, more distressed Indians - families and individuals - are hopeful they can return home. On May 26, the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) issued a standard operation protocol (SOP), allowing private aircraft and chartered operations on international sectors in view of the pandemic.

"The general public is advised not the pay money to anyone who promises a seat on the chartered flight until they get information about final approval from the same from the Consulate. The mission will publish the list of general chartered flights which have been approved by the Government of India before the departure of the flights," added the tweet.

dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com

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