Dubai: Emirates has suspended all passenger flights from India “effective until further notice”, the Dubai-based airline has announced on its website on Friday.
Emirates added: “Passengers who have transited through India in the last 14 days will not be accepted to travel from any other point to the UAE.”
UAE nationals, holders of UAE Golden Visas and members of diplomatic missions who comply with the revised published COVID 19, however, are exempted and may be accepted to travel.
What went before
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.
As reported by Gulf News, some golden visa holders from India have managed to return on private jets and regular passenger flights from the UAE on their return leg. Some other Indian expats had also returned on private jets.
Extension of travel suspension
Last week, 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.
