India-UAE scheduled flights to start in full strength

“I would say in terms of airlines issue part of it was people are very careful, the bubble arrangements, you know scheduled flights have been not operating for some time, so we are moving towards the resumption of scheduled flights.”

— S Jaishankar, India’s External Affairs Minister

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India’s External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar, who was in Dubai last Saturday to attend the Bani Yas Forum, had indicated that scheduled flights between India and UAE could begin in full strength. Jaishankar said, “I would say in terms of airlines issue part of it was people are very careful, the bubble arrangements, you know scheduled flights have been not operating for some time, so we are moving towards the resumption of scheduled flights. That is the call that civil aviation ministry will take. What I can tell you from my perspective is that the move towards the resumption of scheduled flights is progressing.”

He also said that “we have 97 countries which fall in category ‘A’ list. To my mind that itself is a step towards normalcy. Obviously that had to happen before the airline expanded. Airline policy cannot be taken for one destination or one event. I know civil aviation ministry is now looking at now as travel is easing up vaccinated people can move and there is understanding to make the move.”

India has requested the UAE to remove the RTPCR test requirement at the airport. The present rules require passengers travelling to the UAE to arrive six hours before at the airport to get their RTPCR test done. India said that UAE is in talks with its health authorities on the issue.

“We have formally taken it up with the UAE government. We have told them given the level of vaccination in India, given the low level of COVID-19 cases now and the fact that these vaccines are recognised now, we have suggested that they should try and remove this RTPCR requirement at the airport.’

— Pavan Kapoor, Indian Ambassador to UAE, told reporters on high cost of the RTPCR test for travelling to the UAE

The high cost of the RTPCR test at the airport is also an issue often raised by passengers travelling to the UAE. Indian Ambassador to UAE Pavan Kapoor told reporters: “We have formally taken it up with the UAE government. We have told them given the level of vaccination in India, given the low level of COVID-19 cases now and the fact that these vaccines are recognised now, we have suggested that they should try and remove this RTPCR requirement at the airport. We think it is in keeping with the situation. They promised to take it up with national NCEMA (National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority), the national health authority which will take the final call on this matter. So we are hopeful that there will be serious consideration about this.”

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