A big thank you

I was pleased hearing the news about the resumption of flights, which most of us have been waiting for months (“Vaccinated stranded UAE residents can now return,” Aug. 4, Gulf Today).

Over the past few months, many of us were conjecturing if this situation is ever going to end as we kept getting updates on the extension on incoming flights from India. I was also eager to head home, but I could not make plans because of the uncertainty. During these months many who were stranded in India have lost their jobs, whilst some were asked to work from various stations with the lockdown in few states still operational. The fallout is that quite a few businesses failed due to lack of manpower and many families were left in the lurch.

Also many who wanted to head home for their medical treatment, weddings, business meetings, and other personal matters faced difficulties. Of concern now are the soaring ticket fares, especially for a one-way journey. But many people are desperate to head back as travel agent offices and call centers are receiving an influx of calls from passengers from all over.

A big thank you to the Indian and UAE government, airline workforce, and to all respective authorities for resolving the dilemma and heeding to the pleas of those who were stranded in India and in some other countries for months.

Airports are now in the midst of preparing and welcoming passengers with of course stringent COVID protocols in place.

With all the crises around the world, the public has to stop being lax and naive as it’s not just about a few people but all of us are responsible. While we continue to pray and hope things return back to normal, every one of us must continue to practice what we are already doing — wearing face masks, keeping ourselves santised and maintaining social distancing. Stay safe everyone.

Mathew Litty  
Dubai