Manama: India and the UAE have agreed to allow their airlines to carry UAE residents currently stuck in India. Valid UAE visa holders can fly back to the emirates on the Indian government's Vande Bharat Mission flights or the UAE charter flights in its return leg from July 12 to July 26, Indian Foreign Ministry said on Twitter.
The announcement has clarified that India has lifted the ban on UAE carriers chartering flights to India and the UAE has lifted the restrictions it had put on Vande Bharat flights from flying UAE residents stranded in India.
An agreement for the same has been signed between the civil aviation authorities of the two countries, ending months of traumatic waiting for thousands of UAE residents stranded in India.
The Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation on Thursday afternoon announced that repatriation flights under the Vande Bharat Mission as well as charter flights by UAE carriers repatriating Indians from the UAE can fly Indian expats with permits to return to the UAE on their route from India to the UAE.
In a tweet, the ministry announced that this agreement will be in effect for a period of 15 days from July 12 after which it will be reviewed as required.
“As part of the close strategic partnership between the governments of India and the UAE and with a view to assisting UAE resident nationals who are presently in India to return to the UAE, the Civil Aviation authorities of both countries have agreed to operationalise the following arrangement from July 12, 2020,” the ministry tweeted.
Indian carriers operating repatriation flights and the UAE carriers operating charter flights to bring stranded Indians from the UAE to India can now carry ICA approved UAE residents from India to the UAE, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said.
The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has extended the suspension of scheduled international passenger flights in the country until July 31. India suspended all scheduled international passenger flights on March 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Pre-flight Covid-19 test mandatory
Only ICA / GDRFA approved UAE residents will be allowed to return. On the India to the UAE journey, all these flights will carry those passengers who are destined for the UAE only.
The latest decision comes amid uncertainty in India over the resumption of international flights due to the rising coronavirus cases.
Thousands are currently stranded in India since March when both the UAE and India closed their airstrips to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Following the announcement, Air India Express has started booking for the UAE for Indians with UAE work permits. “Happy to announce Air India Express has opened its flights between 12th and 26th July from India to UAE for sale to Indians with UAE Resident Permits, Air India Express CEO K Shyam Sundar said on Twitter.
A senior official of a UAE airline said regarding the eligibility of people who are allowed to travel: “Eligibility from India is for Dubai residents only ICA and GDRFA approved passengers. From UAE to India, only Indian nationals can travel.”
A major sigh of relief
The development comes even as international flights to and from India remain suspended barring special services. India has barred the UAE airlines to repatriate stranded Indians since July 3, and on Wednesday, it revoked the landing permits to the UAE private jets scheduled till June 12.
Thousands of Indians with UAE residency visas were unable to return as India continues its freeze on international flights. The UAE has allowed expats with valid residence permit and who are out of the county to return to the emirates since July 1. Following this, several companies have asked employees who were on vacation to return to work. Many expats got emails from their companies saying they had to report on a specific date or else they would be terminated. As India has not resumed international flight operations yet, they were constrained to depend on private jets returning to the UAE despite the high ticket rate. They were shelling out up to Dh15,000 (Rs. 3 lakh ) per ticket in a private jet. Hundreds of UAE residents are struggling to catch a seat on private jets.
