Emirates Airline stated on its website that its ongoing ban on flights to India will continue till 14th June. The ongoing hiatus on travel between the UAE and the subcontinent previously had no fixed end date, with all other international flights in and out of India grounded until midnight on 31st May.
Emirates also confirmed that passengers who have transited through India in the 14 days prior to their arrival on UAE soil will be denied entry, even if arriving from another country.
Services were originally halted for ten days on Saturday, April 24 by the UAE’s National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) and The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA). That ban was extended till 14th May, before being frozen indefinitely.
Exemptions are in place, covering UAE Nationals, holders of UAE Golden Visas and members of diplomatic missions who comply with the latest mandatory Covid-19 protocols.
Meanwhile, the GCAA has moved to clarify its position on how many passengers can board a chartered private jet – a mode of transport that some expats are using to secure passage back to the UAE.
A GCAA circular said, “Depending on the size of the aircraft, business jets can accommodate anything between six to 35 passengers. However, irrespective of the size of the charter, the requirements for business aircraft or small-body private jets clearly state that the number of passengers on board a flight cannot be more than eight passengers.”
India reported 1,96,427 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the country’s Covid tally to 2,69,48,874. With 3,511 deaths, India’s death toll due to the virus stands at 3,07,231.
