Etihad Airways will launch its flights from New Delhi, Chennai, Kochi, Bengaluru and Trivandrum from August 7 as the United Arab Emirates recently relaxed some travel restrictions from people travelling from India.
This does not mean that Indians will now be allowed to travel to Dubai, as the UAE government has not completely lifted the travel restriction on India. UAE citizens and transit passengers from India are now allowed to travel to the UAE.
Last month, the national airways suspended all flights in India and said that suspension can extend till mid-August. But as the UAE revised its restrictions for people travelling from India, Etihad has resumed booking.
From August 10, the airline will add flights from three more Indian cities, and other cities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, the carrier said in a statement. Flights from Ahmedabad (transit), Hyderabad, Mumbai, Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Dhaka and Colombo will resume.
UAE residents, students and professionals working for UAE government agencies are now allowed to travel to the country. Indian students who want to transit through UAE airports for some other destination are also allowed now if they have negative PCR tests. In the wake of the second wave of the pandemic, the UAE imposed a strict ban on Indian travellers. Even UAE residents who have valid residential proof were stuck in India as the authorities imposed a blanket ban on anyone travelling from India. India, however, was not the only country. The UAE had banned passengers from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka etc.
On August 5, the restrictions were relaxed and the UAE authorities decided to allow fully vaccinated UAE residents, travelling from India, healthcare workers, students, teachers, patients undergoing treatment in the UAE to travel from India. All passengers have to apply for permission to return through the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship website.
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