Emirates will operate repatriation flights to Bengaluru, Kochi, Delhi, Mumbai, and Thiruvananthapuram from Aug. 20 till Aug. 31. The special flights will facilitate travel for Indian citizens in the UAE wishing to return home, and for residents of UAE currently in India to return to the UAE. The airline will operate repatriation flights to India on the following dates: Bengaluru: Aug. 21, 23, 25, 28, and 30; Kochi: Aug. 20, 22, 24, 27, 29 and 31; Delhi: daily flights until Aug. 31; Mumbai: daily flights until Aug. 31 and Thiruvananthapuram: Aug. 26. All flights will be operated with the Emirates Boeing 777-300ER and can be booked on emirates.com or via travel agents. "Passengers must meet all the entry requirements of the destination to be allowed to board the flights, the company said. Only Indian citizens stranded in the UAE will be allowed to fly from Dubai to the five Indian destinations, it added. Emirates further stated that flights will be available for UAE nationals and residents with prior entry approval from the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs (GDFRA) for residents of Dubai and ICA approval for residents of other emirates of the UAE, and whose final destination is the UAE. Emirates has also revised its flight timings to/from Sialkot, Pakistan to offer customers better connections via Dubai with seven weekly flights — providing greater access to its current network of 75 cities across six continents. Effective Aug. 22, Emirates flight EK 618 will depart Dubai at 20:55 hrs and arrive in Sialkot at 1:10 hrs. The return flight, EK 619 will depart Sialkot at 2:40 hrs and arrive in Dubai at 5:00 hrs. In addition to Sialkot, Emirates offers customers direct flights to four other cities in Pakistan including Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, and Peshawar. "Ensuring the safety of travelers, visitors, and the community, COVID-19 PCR tests are mandatory for all inbound and transit passengers arriving to Dubai (and the UAE), including UAE citizens, residents and tourists, irrespective of the country they are coming from," according to the Dubai-based airliner. Emirates has implemented a comprehensive set of measures at every step of the customer journey to ensure the safety of its customers and employees on the ground and in the air, including the distribution of complimentary hygiene kits containing masks, gloves, hand sanitizer and antibacterial wipes to all customers. For more information on these measures and the services available on each flight. — WAM
