Etihad Airways has announced that it will operate a limited number of special flights from six Indian cities.
New Delhi:
Etihad Airways announced Friday that it would operate a limited number of special flights from six Indian cities to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates between July 12 and July 26 for eligible passengers.
“Eligible passengers include United Arab Emirates nationals and residents as well as persons subject to relevant United Arab Emirates entry approvals from India. All passengers must have Abu Dhabi government ICA approval before to travel and will not be allowed to check in without the necessary approvals, “the airline said in its press release.
ICA stands for United Arab Emirates Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship. A person with a valid UAE residence permit must take ICA approval before taking a flight to enter this country.
The airline has announced that it will operate services to Abu Dhabi from Bangalore, Chennai, Kochi, Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai.
India suspended all scheduled international passenger flights on March 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Many Indian nationals who hold a valid residence permit in the UAE and who are currently in India have been complaining for a few weeks on social networks of the lack of flights between the two countries.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation announced on Twitter Thursday: “As part of the close strategic partnership between the governments of India and the United Arab Emirates, and to assist residents of the United Arab Emirates who are currently in India to return to the United Arab Emirates, the civil authorities the aeronautical authorities of the two countries have agreed to operationalize the following agreement from July 12, 2020. “
Charter flights operated by UAE carriers will now be allowed to bring Indian citizens of the UAE to India and to transport “ICA approved UAE residents” upon their return, the ministry said.
On trips from India to the United Arab Emirates, all of these flights will only carry passengers who are destined for the Gulf country, he noted.
The ministry also said, “Indian carriers operating repatriation flights to bring Indian citizens from the UAE to India will be permitted to transport residents of the UAE approved by the CIA (returning from the UAE from India) during the outward journey from India to the UAE. “
