Emirates
Emirates airline has suspended all passenger flights from India until July 15, 2021. Image Credit: Gulf News Archive

Dubai: Emirates airline has suspended all passenger flights from India until July 15, 2021.

Passengers who have transited through India in the last 14 days will not be accepted to travel from any other point to the UAE, said Emirates on its website.

UAE nationals, holders of UAE Golden Visas and members of diplomatic missions who comply with the revised published COVID 19 are exempt and may be accepted to travel.

Initial date

Emirates earlier suspended passenger flights from India from April 24 until June 30, following UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Emergency Management Authority (NCEMA) announcement to suspend all inbound flights for national and international carriers coming from India amidst a massive surge in COVID-19 cases in India.

GCAA move

The GCAA, in a Notice Issued to Airmen (NOTAM), said flights from India and 13 other countries, including Liberia, Namibia, Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic Of Congo, Uganda, Zambia, Vietnam, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Nigeria and South Africa, will remain suspended until 23:59 hrs of July 21, 2021.

The notice stated that cargo flights as well as business and charter flights would be exempted from the restrictions.

Etihad too

Etihad had earlier announced that its flights from India to Abu Dhabi would be halted until July 21.

"Etihad will not be permitted to carry passengers from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka or India, however UAE nationals, diplomatic missions, official delegations and Golden residence holders are exempted from the UAE entry restriction," said an airline spokesperson.

These passengers will be subject to acceptance and quarantine conditions.

Etihad will continue to operate flights to all four countries, carrying passengers from across the Etihad network. Travel into Sri Lanka is not permitted from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, however, passengers may transit through these countries from other permitted origins.