To save a family-run business, an Indian family shelled out a thumping amount of Dh200,000 ( approximately ₹3,988,751) to fly back to the UAE from India on a private jet. PD Syamalan has his business based in Sharjah. The entire business is run by the family. Finding it impossible to manage the business from India, the family decided to jet back to the UAE amid the flight bans. UAE had announced a temporary ban on Indian travellers from April 25 for ten days. Now the ban has been extended till May 14.
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The Family Had Come To India For A Wedding Ceremony
Ajit Syamalan, CEO of Al Ras Group, had come to India to celebrate the wedding of his daughter on April 25. But when it was time for them to return, the ban extension on flights from India came as a barrier. All the senior members of his business got stuck in Kerala. Left with no other option, the family had to book a jet paying the whopping amount to fly back. To get back to the UAE amid the bans, Syamalan family got in touch with the Smart Travels agency. They booked a 13-seater private jet. All the close family members and four employees jetted back from Kerala’s Kochi to Dubai. Their charter arrived at 2 PM on May 7 at Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport. Private Charters On A Rise As Wealthy Travellers Look For Safe Mode Of Travel Costing Approx ₹2.5 Lakhs An Hour
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The Returnees Will Stay In Quarantine For 10 Days In Sharjah
Speaking to Khaleej Times, Ajit Syamalan said, “We decided the wedding a year ago and since Anju’s husband Siva Prasad works in France, postponing the wedding at the last minute would’ve been difficult.” He added, “Our business is strictly family-run. My mum is a director, my wife is a company CFO, and we play key roles. It was impossible to run the business from India.” The family will now stay in quarantine in their Sharjah villa for the next ten days. Meanwhile, the managing director of Smart Travels, Afi Ahmed has informed that amid the restrictions, the demand for private charters has quadrupled and many flights have departed from Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad too.
First Published: May 08, 2021 3:29 PM