UAE does away with airport RTPCR testing for Indians

The United Arab Emirates has exempted Indians travelling to the country from at-airport RT-PCR test for Covid-19ceding to aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia’s demand while negotiating an increase in the number of flights between the two countries, people in the know said. “Minister Scindia made it clear to the UAE authorities that the increase in seat entitlements would happen after this requirement is removed,” one of them told ET.

The negotiations happened on Monday and the UAE announced abolition of at-airport RT-PCR test for Indian nationals flying to Dubai and other emirates on Tuesday morning, bringing some relief for passengers who so far had to reach airport six hours before the flight.

A second person said the UAE side wanted to remove this test requirement only for passengers flying out of Kolkata airport, but this was not acceptable to the Indian side.

The issue is the increase in flight entitlements between India and Dubai to 62,000 seats per week from 33,600 seats.

Dubai had been seeking an increase in the number of flight entitlements with India and bring it to pre-Covid levels since last year. They had applied for an increase in August and again in December.

ET had reported on Monday that the health ministry has approved an increase in the number of flights to pre-Covid levels but the final order was to come from the aviation ministry.