Kochi: Having received a new travel protocol from the UAE accepting passengers from India who meet the prescribed regulations, the Kochi international airport has begun flying to the UAE. Emirates, Air Arabia and UAE Airlines each operated one service on Thursday.
At 3:50 am, Air Arabia (G9-426) departed for Sharjah with 69 passengers on board, while Emirates (EK 531) departed for Dubai with 99 passengers at 10:30 am. S Suhas, the managing director of Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL), credits the smooth and swift launch of international departures to the ‘operational efficiency of CIAL and other stakeholders, such as airlines, customs, immigration and ground handling agencies’.
In accordance with the relaxations, expatriates with valid residency visas who have had the Covid-19 vaccine administered twice in the UAE can enter the country from August 5. According to the statement, they must have received the second dose at least 14 days prior to travel and have a certificate proving it. In addition to the negative PCR certificate, the passengers should also undergo a Rapid PCR test at the airport after departure.
CIAL said it has been following up intensely with UAE aviation communities and set up the Rapid PCR-testing center within a week of Dubai’s Supreme Committee for Crisis and Disaster Management making the tests mandatory for Indian passengers. ‘We facilitated a departure flight operation in the wee hours of the opening day itself,’ Suhas said after the Dubai authorities issued guidelines on August 3 accepting Indian citizens from August 5.
Read more: Aurat March: Pakistan’s response to sexual abuse canceled for ‘administrative’ reasons
As per the flight schedule, Air Arabia will be operating two regular daily flights (G9 421/422 SHJ-COK-SHJ 1530/1640 and G9 427/428 SHJ-COK-SHJ 1840/1920) in the Sharjah sector from August 7 while Emirates will operate a daily flight (EK 530/531 DXB 0844/1030) in the Dubai sector. It is expected that airlines such as Fly Dubai, Etihad, Air India Express, Indigo and Spice Jet will begin UAE departure services shortly, as well as other UAE and Indian carriers.
Post Your Comments