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Many expats are eagerly looking forward to spending time with their families.
With the relaxation of flight rules for some restricted countries to fly to the UAE, many Indian expatriates hope to fly home during the holidays or deal with emergencies and emergencies.
After 24 months of waiting, Vinod Thangoor can’t wait to see his parents in Bangalore. “My last visit to India was in August 2019. Since then, I have been waiting for 24 months in Bangalore in order to meet my parents who live alone. I am worried about their health. Daily Zoom/ToTok call Not enough. Now flights from India are open. I will fly home at the earliest. I thank the UAE government for making this a reality,” said Vinod, Global Commercial Director of Xentrix Global FZE LLC.
NM Aboobaker, the relieved parents of Mussafah in Abu Dhabi, will fly to Kerala with his family on Sunday. He said: “I did a PCR test for everyone today. Our actual The plan was to spend the summer vacation in Kerala, but it was ruined by travel restrictions. My children Reem Fathima, Riham Thasneem, and Raneem Aboobaker were all frustrated because they were unable to fly home during the vacation. Now, I hope to give at least to before the school year begins. They’re three weeks,” Aboobaker said.
Meanwhile, Vaneesha Noronha from Oud Metha in Dubai is expecting her parents and in-laws to see their child Amaira. “We are very happy to have the opportunity to go to India. We are eagerly looking forward to taking our baby to Mumbai to visit her grandparents and family because they missed the time with her because of the pandemic. As long as we can be sure to return to the UAE without restrictions, We would be happy to fly home,” Vaneesha told Khaleej Times.
Zenella Braganza and her siblings living in Dubailand are also planning to reunite with their mother in Goa in 20 months. “Resuming flights from India is a huge relief for me and my brothers and sisters. We have not seen our mother since December 2019. We were originally scheduled to go to Goa in June 2021, but due to the return flight The plan was cancelled because of the uncertainty. Now the restrictions are lifted and we plan to fly home in 20 months. In addition, since we are fully vaccinated, we can return with confidence. This is definitely an emotional catch-up!” Ze Nella said.
Fathima is a 6th grade student, she is very excited, and her flying time is several hours. “We are so happy. We are eager to see our grandparents. We have been at home for almost two years. If we keep doing this, maybe our grandparents will forget our faces,” Fatima told Khaleej Times.
Although Dubai’s travel agency and airline officials said they have not seen a surge in outbound travel to India, Abu Dhabi’s demand for the Indian sector is huge.
“We had expected an increase in bookings, but we have not yet seen a surge in outbound travel. Raheesh Babu, group chief operating officer of online travel agency Musafir.com, said that maybe because people are still worried that cases in India may increase, leading to restrictions. “Some people may also worry about whether they will be able to obtain the necessary approvals when they return. The cost involved in conducting PCR testing for a family is also a reason. In addition, the school will reopen and it may shift from e-learning to on-site learning,” Babu added.
“There are reservations, but most of them are people traveling urgently, not on holidays. Maybe in the next few days or a week, it may increase,” he added.
Babu said the fare remains the same-the ticket to and from India is between AED 1,500 and AED 1,700.
An airline official also stated that despite the approaching Onam Festival, traction has been low. “We expected some traffic during Onam, but we didn’t see much traction. Some people are worried about a third wave of epidemics in India. Hopefully, in the next few days, we expect a surge in bookings. Current The numbers are small, but things will rebound. It’s just a matter of time. If two or three families travel and return, it will help rebuild confidence,” he said.
At the same time, a travel agency in Abu Dhabi stated that pent-up travel demand has led to a large number of bookings.
“We have seen a surge in demand from people who want to travel. From 60% to 70% capacity, we will reach a 90% to 100% occupancy rate. Even during the Eid al-Adha, we have not seen full staff. Now people You can rest assured that they can return to the UAE,” the agent said.
Reporter@khaleejtimes.com
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