Air India, AI Express to Operate Repatriation Flights for Stranded UAE Citizens in India From July 12

In accordance with the announcement made by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Air India and Air India Express has confirmed that it will operate repatriation flights to the UAE to take back stranded citizens from the country. MoCA confirmed that the repatriation flights will commence from July 12 and will go on till July 26.

The Ministry stated that charter flights operated by the UAE carriers to being Indian citizens from UAE to India will be allowed to carry ICA approved UAE residents returning to UAE from India on their return leg.

Indian carriers operating repatriation flights to being Indian citizens from UAE to India will be allowed to carry the ICA approved UAE residents on the outwards journey from India to UAE.

India suspended all scheduled international passenger flights on March 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Many passengers have used social media to demand resumption of international passenger flights from India to the UAE and other foreign countries.

"One question is asked on what about the Indian nationals who are in India and they have valid residency and valid work permits for the UAE? When can they fly back from India to the UAE?" Al Banna said during a webinar organised by the PHD Chamber of Commerce. "The problem is not in the UAE. The problem actually, or the point, is in India. India has not opened up their airports. They do not allow the foreign carriers to fly into India," he added.

Also Watch:

Airports Authority of India Chairman Arvind Singh said on July 2 that India is in talks with the US and Canada and countries in the European and Gulf regions to establish individual bilateral bubbles which will allow airlines of each country in the pact to operate international flights. Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had on June 20 said the government will start thinking on the resumption of scheduled international passenger flights in mid-July, when it expects the domestic air traffic to reach 50-55 per cent of the levels before the coronavirus.

After nearly two months of suspension to combat the coronavirus outbreak, the government resumed scheduled domestic passenger flights on May 25. However, it had then allowed the airlines to operate the maximum 33 per cent of their pre-COVID flights. The MOCA increased the limits on June 26 from 33 per cent to 45 per cent.