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According to travel agencies, most flights from India to the UAE have a capacity of 60% to 70%
The travel agency said that although the UAE has relaxed travel restrictions on stranded residents, the demand for flights is not “as high as expected”.
“The pre-travel approval process is complicated. In addition, many people have lost their jobs, and many people are in trouble due to expired residence visas. However, one of the main problems is that some people in the UAE do not receive two doses of the vaccine at the same time. In some cases , Take one dose in the UAE and a second dose in India. Passengers in these categories are not approved to travel,” explained Afi Ahmed, Managing Director of Smart Travels.
Pre-travel approval by the Federal Identity and Citizenship Administration (ICA) remains a challenge faced by many travelers to the UAE.
After applying for approval on the website, passengers who wish to travel stated that they did not receive a QR code or email confirmation. Indian residents told Khaleej Times that because travelers need to upload their RT-PCR test results on the website, there is a time limit, and they worry that if the ICA is not approved in time, the validity of the test will become invalid.
Merrin Prakash, an Indian expat who has been stranded in Kerala, India since March, said: “As soon as the agreement is announced, I will go to the laboratory for RT-PCR testing. I have an Abu Dhabi visa, So, I need to get ICA approval. Once I register on the website, there is no confirmation and the airline cannot help me.”
Another passenger, Amoghvarsha, added: “If a confirmation email is not required, maybe the authorities can explain this to passengers who wish to travel.”
However, Ahmed clarified: “If you upload your details on ICA’s entry confirmation website-https://smartservices.ica.gov.ae/echannels/web/client/guest/index.html# /residents-entry-confirmation, and if you receive a “green status”, it means that the passenger can fly. The second website for inquiring passenger travel information is just a platform for uploading necessary pre-travel data.”
The travel agency said that in the past two to three days, due to insufficient demand, fares have stabilized.
Officials from Cochin International Airport Co., Ltd. (CIAL) said that on August 5, an Arab Airlines flight from Kochi to Sharjah carried 69 passengers, while Emirates operated a plane with 99 passengers. Passenger’s flight to Dubai.
According to airline sources, since then, most flights from India have been operated at 60% to 70% capacity.
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com
Danusha Gukulan
Dhanusha Gokulan is from India and has been a journalist for more than ten years. For Khaleej Times, she reports on NRI affairs, civil aviation and immigration issues. She received a bachelor’s degree in journalism, economics and English literature from Mangalore University in 2008, and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in contemporary media leadership and innovation at the American University in Dubai. In her spare time, she gets involved in singing/song writing, loves food, and is the mother of an over-enthusiastic Labrador Retriever. On her Twitter @shootsprintrite.
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