PUNE: Over 3,000 UAE-based NRIs stuck in Maharashtra for four months can look forward to fly back to the Emirates on the 19 newly announced special repatriation flights between July 12 and 26.
The flights will be operated by Indian carriers under Vande Bharat Mission and a private UAE-based airline scheduled on the Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi-Mumbai routes as well as Dubai-Pune and Dubai-Mumbai routes.
The civil aviation authorities in India and UAE on Thursday gave a green signal to Indian and UAE carriers (charters and VBM flights) to carry back passengers stuck in India to UAE. A ministry of civil aviation notification in this regard clarified that the passengers flying back to UAE must be UAE resident visa holders and destined for UAE only. These are special arrangement flights under a 15-day window from July 12-26.
Rahul Tulpule, vice-president, Gulf Maharashtra Business Forum, said the move would help people as they would no longer be required to spend over Rs 2-2.5 lakh per seat on private 13-seater business charters. “Apart from a private UAE-based airline expected to come with 14 flights to repatriate NRIs stuck in Maharashtra to UAE during this period, VBM has around seven flights scheduled to operate on the UAE- Mumbai route from July 20 to 31,” he said.
Sachin Suramwar, a business development director in a Dubai firm stuck in Pune since March, said, “When I checked the airline’s website, it showed zero availability. So, I wonder when will I get to fly back?”
Preeti Roongta, co-founder of Pune Expat Club, said, “UAE-based NRIs stuck in Pune have approached us in the last few days as they have had no repatriation flights from Maharashtra to UAE and wanted us to help them via our platform.”
The flights will be operated by Indian carriers under Vande Bharat Mission and a private UAE-based airline scheduled on the Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi-Mumbai routes as well as Dubai-Pune and Dubai-Mumbai routes.
The civil aviation authorities in India and UAE on Thursday gave a green signal to Indian and UAE carriers (charters and VBM flights) to carry back passengers stuck in India to UAE. A ministry of civil aviation notification in this regard clarified that the passengers flying back to UAE must be UAE resident visa holders and destined for UAE only. These are special arrangement flights under a 15-day window from July 12-26.
Rahul Tulpule, vice-president, Gulf Maharashtra Business Forum, said the move would help people as they would no longer be required to spend over Rs 2-2.5 lakh per seat on private 13-seater business charters. “Apart from a private UAE-based airline expected to come with 14 flights to repatriate NRIs stuck in Maharashtra to UAE during this period, VBM has around seven flights scheduled to operate on the UAE- Mumbai route from July 20 to 31,” he said.
Sachin Suramwar, a business development director in a Dubai firm stuck in Pune since March, said, “When I checked the airline’s website, it showed zero availability. So, I wonder when will I get to fly back?”
Preeti Roongta, co-founder of Pune Expat Club, said, “UAE-based NRIs stuck in Pune have approached us in the last few days as they have had no repatriation flights from Maharashtra to UAE and wanted us to help them via our platform.”
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