India, UAE agree on special flights between the two countries for 15 days

Dubai: Governments of India and the UAE have agreed to operate special flights for 15 days to fly Indians between the two countries, ending months of waiting for stranded Indians.

The Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation on Thursday afternoon announced that repatriation flights under the Vande Bharat Mission as well as charter flights by UAE carriers repatriating Indians from here can fly Indian expats with permits to return to the UAE on their route from India to the UAE.

The announcement has clarified that India has lifted the ban on UAE carriers chartering flights to India and the UAE has lifted the restrictions it had put on Vande Bharat flights from flying UAE residents stuck in India.

In a tweet, the ministry announced that this agreement will be in effect for a period of 15 days from July 12 after which it will be reviewed as required.

“As part of the close strategic partnership between the governments of India and the UAE and with a view to assisting UAE resident nationals who are presently in India to return to the UAE, the Civil Aviation authorities of both countries have agreed to operationalise the following from arrangement from July 12, 2020,” the ministry said in the tweet.

“Charter flights operated by the UAE carriers to bring Indian citizens from the UAE to India will be allowed to carry ICA-approved UAE residents (returning to the UAE from India) on their return leg (India to the UAE).”

“Indian carriers operating repatriation flights to bring Indian citizens from the UAE to India will be allowed to carry the ICA-approved UAE residents (returning to the UAE from India) on the outward journey from India to the UAE.”

“On the India to the UAE journey, all these flights will carry only those passengers who are destined for the UAE.”

“This arrangement will be initially in place for a period of 15 days i.e., from July 12 to 26 after which it will be reviewed as required,” the statement added.