More airlines to begin India-Dubai operations from June 23

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

International airlines have allowed UAE residents and other travellers stranded in India to book their flights for Dubai commencing on June 23, according to a flight booking website.

Air India, Emirates, Lufthansa, KLM Royal Dutch, Go Air and flyDubai are reopening their services.

Some airlines are offering a connecting flight to Dubai, such as an Air India flight from Delhi would take a traveller to Frankfurt, from there a Lufthansa flight would bring the traveller to Dubai.   

The UAE authorities have clarified that only passengers with a valid residence visa who have received two doses of a UAE-approved vaccine, are allowed to travel to Dubai from India.

The updates are part of the Dubai government’s keenness to protect passengers and ease hassles for them without compromising on COVID-19 precautionary measures put in place to safeguard everyone’s health and wellbeing.

The UAE authorities have approved the Covishield vaccine for Indian travellers. The Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine is being sold in India under the brand name Covishield.

Following are the vaccines approved by the UAE:

-Sinopharm

-Sputnik V

-AstraZeneca (Covishield)

-Pfizer-Biontech

The UAE airlines saw a rush for tickets being bought although the fares were reportedly comparatively high.

With regard to travel from India, only passengers with a valid residence visa are allowed to travel to Dubai.

Here are the six rules Indian travellers have to follow to enter Dubai:

1. Residents should have received two doses of vaccine approved by the UAE authorities.

2. Passengers must have received a negative test result for a PCR test taken within 48 hours before departure. The UAE citizens are exempted.

3. Only QR coded PCR test result certificates are accepted.

4. All passengers should take a rapid PCR test four hours prior to flight departure.

5. All passengers must undergo a PCR test on arrival at the Dubai airport.

6. Passengers should undergo institutional quarantine until they receive their PCR test result, which is expected within 24 hours. The UAE citizens and diplomats are exempted.