India-UAE flight suspension extended until July 31: Etihad

Abu Dhabi: The Abu-Dhabi based Etihad airways on Friday said that suspension of flights from India and two other countries to the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) capital city has been extended till July 31.

Etihad Airways, has announced the extension of flight suspensions from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

 In a reply to a query on Twitter, Etihad said, “Following the latest UAE Government directives, passenger travel from India to the UAE and Etihad’s network has been suspended effective until 31 July 2021. Please visit our website https://t.co/hWA7ZGfiaF to find the latest travel guide. Thank you.”

The UAE’s general civil aviation authority (GCAA) had earlier clarified that passenger flights between the Gulf nation and India will remain suspended until further notice, reports the Khaleej Times.

On June 29, the Etihad airways had informed passengers on social media that the flight suspension from the four countries- India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka to the UAE capital would be extended until July 21.

The airline added that UAE nationals, UAE golden visa holders, and members of diplomatic missions who comply with updated COVID-19 protocols are exempt and can be accepted for travel. “Our contact centres are experiencing a greater volume of calls than anticipated. If your call is not related to travel within the next 48 hours, please consider calling back later,” said the Etihad.

The Dubai-based airline suspended flights from India since April 24, after the second deadly wave of the COVID-19 outbreak, and in a similar move, on May 13, it also suspended entry for passengers from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka.