Flights from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka may be suspended until August 7, according to Etihad Airways, the flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Emirates and Etihad Airways, both headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, stated last month that flight operations from South Asian nations will be halted until August 7.
The airline said on Wednesday that flight restrictions from India and Pakistan will be extended until “further notice.”
“Following the latest UAE Government directives, passenger travel from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to the UAE and Etihad’s network has been suspended until August 7, 2021. Please note this is an evolving situation, and this date may have to be extended in line with government mandates,” the carrier said in a statement to Khaleej Times.
‘Expo 2020′ in the UAE is open to visitors from prohibited nations.
The Emirates airline, headquartered in Dubai, has also stated that inbound scheduled passenger flights from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka to the UAE will be suspended until at least August 7. Any additional restrictions are still being considered.
Passengers from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and India are not allowed to fly on UAE carriers. The entrance restrictions do not apply to UAE citizens, diplomats, diplomatic delegations, or Golden Visa holders.
Acceptance and quarantine requirements will apply to these travellers.
Cargo flights will continue to run normally in both directions, according to Etihad.
The airline said that it is working closely with affected customers to inform them of the itinerary adjustments.
Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates has permitted eight types of travellers to fly to the Gulf state from countries where passengers’ entrance has been banned owing to coronavirus restrictions.
According to KT, Expo 2020 Dubai attendees are the most recent addition to the exempted groups.
Passenger entrance to the UAE has been banned from 16 countries, including India, Pakistan, South Africa, and Indonesia, until further notice.
Exempted travellers must follow strict Covid-19 safety procedures, including a 10-day quarantine period, according to a safety circular published by the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) last week.
Passengers who are exempted must provide a negative PCR (Covid-19 test) result within 48 hours of their departure date.
The test must have been performed in an accredited lab and the result must include a QR code.
According to the official recommendations, they must have a PCR test performed upon arrival, followed by two further tests on days four and eight.
They must stay in quarantine for ten days and wear a tracking and monitoring device.
