All inbound flights from India were suspended until 21 July due to surge in Delta variant of the COVID-19. The resumption of flights between both countries will be subject to a UAE government review, the Emirates has said, reports Asian Lite Newsdesk
Emirates airline, the flag carrier of United Arab Emirates is waiting government review for the resumption of flights from India and Pakistan.
It said the resumption will be subject to a UAE “government review” and that the carrier will wait for authorities to make a decision, according to a Gulf News report.
During a press conference, Emirates’ Chief Operating Officer Adel Al Redha said the government and command-and-control centres are continuously reviewing their development and the protocols that are required.
“We will wait to see what is coming out from the government, but there is a constant review of the development and the spread of the virus,” the Gulf News quoted Al Redha as saying. He added that the Emirates was “closely monitoring” the situation as the Delta variant spreads to different countries.
All inbound flights from India and Pakistan were suspended until 21 July due to a huge surge in ‘Delta’ variant of the COVID-19. Passengers who have connected through India, Pakistan, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka in the last 14 days will not be accepted to travel from any other point to the UAE.
Only exempted travellers are UAE Nationals, holders of UAE Golden Visas, and members of diplomatic missions who comply with updated COVID-19 protocols.
The date for the resumption of travel has now been postponed several times from the Delta plus variant, which has been found in 12 states in India and has sparked real concerns of a third wave, the Gulf News reported.
Meanwhile, India reported 41,806 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, and 581 deaths due to the coronavirus, said the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry on Thursday.
There has been less than one lakh new coronavirus cases for the last 37 days. The active cases have now come down below 5 lakh. The country has 4,32,041 active cases presently and has witnessed a total of 4,11,989 deaths so far.
The Ministry said that a total of 39,13,40,491 people have been vaccinated so far in the country, including 34,97,058 who were administered vaccines in the last 24 hours.
Meanwhile, Emirates is expecting high passenger volumes to pass through Terminal 3 at Dubai International this weekend, 16th-17th July, as traveller numbers reach among their highest levels since the pandemic began.
With added safety measures and COVID-19 travel requirement checks in place, travellers may encounter longer than expected waiting times at Emirates check-in counters.
Customers starting their journey from Dubai are encouraged to physically check-in and drop their bags early to avoid long wait times. Customers can check-in for their flights up to 24 hours before departure, and those flying to the US can check in 12 hours before departure.
Customers are also reminded to ensure they have all the relevant documents ready and review the latest travel requirements to their booked destination, including whether forms, vaccination certificates or negative PCR tests are required on the Emirates Travel Hub, which has the latest information for every country on the airline’s route network.
Furthermore, all passengers are requested to check in no later than 3 hours prior to departure. Customers who present themselves less than 60 minutes prior to their scheduled flight departure will not be accepted for travel.
Online Check-in is also available from 48 hours before departure and customers are reminded to visit the Emirates check-in counters or contactless kiosks to complete the required travel documentation checks and formalities.
Customers are also advised to make sure they get to their boarding gate on time. Gates open 90 minutes before departure, and close 20 minutes before departure. If passengers report late Emirates will not be able to accept them for travel.