72-hour COVID result must for these Etihad passengers
7 countries included: Azerbaijan, Egypt, India, Lebanon, Philippines, Russia, Sri Lanka
Abu Dhabi: Etihad Airways has announced that passengers from seven countries flying into the UAE’s capital are now required to produce a negative COVID-19 PCR test result not older than 72 hours before departure.
“If you are travelling to Abu Dhabi from Azerbaijan, Egypt, India, Lebanon, Philippines, Russia or Sri Lanka, you will be required to show a negative COVID-19 PCR test result received within 72 hours before departure from an approved clinic,” the airline stated on its website.
As first reported by Gulf News on April 15, Air Arabia had made it mandatory for passengers from seven countries to show a negative PCR test certificate issued by an authorised lab 72 hours before boarding flights.
The airline informed passengers that the new requirement came into effect from July 17. India, Egypt, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sudan and Nepal are the countries listed for this requirement by Air Arabia.
However, Indian carrier Air India Express has maintained that its passengers from India to the UAE must hold a valid negative COVID-19 PCR test from a government-approved laboratory, no older than 96 hours before departure, for travel back to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah from India.
“For children below 12 years, COVID-19 PCR test is not mandatory,” the airline said in an update posted on its blog on Monday.
Meanwhile, Emirates has also stated that passengers flying with the Dubai carrier from certain countries or airports must carry a negative PCR certificate issued by a local government-approved laboratory to be accepted on board the flight.
“If the UAE government has specified a designated laboratory in your country of origin, you must get your test certificate from that lab. Certificates must be issued no more than 96 hours before departure,” the airline’s post on its website said.
The list of countries for which the test requirement is applicable include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Russian Federation, Sudan and Tanzania. From the US, passengers from Dallas Fort Worth (DFW), Houston (IAH), Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Orlando (MCO), including passengers originating from California, Florida and Texas connecting to an Emirates flight from any of the airports worldwide to Dubai are also required to submit the negative COVID-19 PCR test result.