International Flights Latest News Today: A day after the United Arab Emirates lifted the travel ban on passengers from India and five other countries from 5 August, the Emirates Airline and Etihad Airways on Wednesday issued updates for the travellers from these countries.
For the convenience of the passengers, the Emirates and Etihad have issued updates on their respective websites regarding their policies to carry passengers to and through the UAE from countries where travel was previously banned.
Updates from Emirates: In its updates, Emirates said that from August 5, 2021, eligible travellers from the below countries will be allowed to travel to and through the UAE:
- India
- Pakistan
- Sri Lanka
- Nigeria
- Uganda
- Nepal (Operated by flydubai)
Furthermore, Emirates added that eligible customers will only be allowed to transit through UAE from the below countries:
- Afghanistan
- Bangladesh
- Indonesia
- South Africa
- Vietnam
- Zambia
Updates from Etihad: In a similar manner, Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways said that flights from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka were previously cancelled until August 15, in line with previous UAE Government guidelines and added that it is working to resume flights as soon as possible for eligible guests.
“As some restrictions will ease from August 5, we are working to resume flights as soon as possible for eligible guests to travel to the UAE and for transit,” the airline noted on its website, adding, “We are also working to resume previously cancelled flights from Bangladesh, for transit passengers only.”
Moreover, Etihad added that guests impacted by the cancellations are being notified directly and the eligible passengers will be able to rebook their flights once its schedule has been confirmed.
Travel ban lifted: On Tuesday, the National Emergency and Crisis Management Authority (NCEMA) said the restrictions on travel from India to UAE are still in place, but added that those Indians who have a valid residency permit and are fully vaccinated — at least 14 days prior to the travel — are included in the exempted category.
On the other hand, the UAE government also said that unvaccinated people in certain job categories can seek permission to return from the same date as well. The categories include medical workers, teachers at schools and universities in the Emirates, students, residents with extenuating circumstances, people undergoing medical treatment in the UAE and people who work for federal or local government agencies.
New guidelines: As per the new guidelines, the passengers will need to apply for online entry permits prior to travelling and would need to present a negative PCR test taken 48 hours prior to departure.
The NCEMA said on Twitter that passengers travelling from countries where flights had been suspended would be able to transit through its airports from Thursday as long as they present negative PCR tests taken 72 hours prior to departure.
It must be noted that the international flights from India to UAE were suspended on 22 April when the second wave of Covid-19 was raging across the country. However, transportation of passengers from the gulf country to India was allowed.