Airlines Restart Flight Bookings From New Delhi To Dubai; First Flight Expected On July 15

by Vaishnavi Venkataraman
Airlines Restart Flight Bookings From New Delhi To Dubai; First Flight Expected On July 15

Have you been waiting to fly to Dubai? If yes, then we have important news for you. Travellers from India will soon be able to book flight tickets to Dubai. According to reports, bookings from several Indian cities will re-open from July 15. Vistara will carry passengers from New Delhi to Dubai and Emirates and budget carrier Flydubai is expected to re-open operations on July 16. However, Abu Dhabi will re-open flights for Indian passengers from July 21.

UAE Expats Were First Allowed To Travel Back From India

Flights from India to Dubai  resumed from 23 June. The news came as a ray of hope for UAE expats stranded in India, waiting to return to their second home. However, travellers from India have strict protocols to follow. To begin with, only Vaccinated UAE residents can travel back to Dubai. The vaccine must be recognized by the UAE government and passengers must have received both doses of the UAE-approved vaccine. In a recent development Air India extended suspension of flights from India to UAE until 6 July. So, which airlines will resume services from India to Dubai? Read on to know more and plan your travel back to the emirates accordingly.

Also read: You Can Now Get COVID-19 Vaccination At Your Workplace; Here Everything To Know

Which Airlines Are Resuming Services From India To Dubai?

Emirates announced that it will resume services to India from 23 June onwards. However, booking have not yet opened. In addition, a few other airlines are also set to resume flights to and from India to the United Arab Emirates. As per online booking sites, Flydubai has now opened bookings from India. A one-way trip from Delhi to Dubai costs AED 1,184, while a one-way trip from Mumbai to Dubai costs AED 1,197. Flydubai also has services from Chennai-and Kochi. A one-way trip from Chennai costs  

Earlier, Air India in a statement announced that it will resume flights from 24 June. However, on 23 June the airlines announced that flights between India and UAE are suspended till July 6.

“In view of travel restrictions announced by the UAE government, flights between India and UAE are suspended till July 6, 2021. Please keep a watch on our Twitter handle and website for further updates,” India’s national carrier said in a tweet.

Meanwhile, Air India Express, Spicejet and Go Air are also expected to resume flights connecting Indian cities to Dubai starting June 23.

What Are The Vaccines Recognized By The UAE Government?

There are four vaccines in the UAE for use on eligible individuals against the COVID-19 infection. This includes Sinopharm, Pfizer-BioNTech, Sputnik V and Oxford-AstraZeneca. However, the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) said that AstraZeneca, the covid-19 vaccine which is sold in India under the name Covishield is a UAE-approved vaccine.

Responding to residents’ queries on social media, the health authority tweeted: “Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine and Covishield are the same vaccines”.

The UAE is offering these vaccines to its citizens and residents free of charge and on optional basis after ensuring that the person has no condition or symptom that make it inadvisable. Nursing mothers, pregnant women and children are excluded from COVID-19 vaccinations.

In May 2021, Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHaP) approved the emergency local use of Pfizer vaccine for children between the ages of 12 and15 following clinical trials and a strict assessment.

As of May 2021, Dubai Health Authority (DHA) is administering Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine to children with chronic diseases, those who live with vulnerable family members and to those living with members who cannot receive the vaccine due to medical reasons. Children who are experiencing an active COVID-19 infection, need special treatment for Covid -19 or experience severe allergic reaction to any vaccine, are exempt from taking the vaccine.

What Are The Rules For Passengers Travelling From India To Dubai?

Starting, 23 June all passengers travelling from India to Dubai must have received both doses of any UAE approved vaccine. In addition, all travellers must submit a negative Covid-19 test result taken within 48 hours before departure. Passengers must also take a rapid PCR test 4 hours prior to departure. Besides, they must also undergo another PCR test upon arrival in Dubai. Passengers should undergo institutional quarantine until they receive their PCR test result, which is expected within 24 hours.