UAE residents in India can now return on Vande Bharat, charter flights

UAE residents stranded in India will now be able to return to the country on the outbound leg of Vande Bharat flights from India operated from July 12-26.

The Vande Bharat flights are currently returning Indians stranded around the world to India, including from the UAE.

However, as a result of an agreement reached by the civil aviation authorities of India and the UAE, those stranded in India and are residents of the UAE, will be permitted to board the flights and travel to the UAE from Indian cities where the flights are originating.

Read: Next phase of India’s repatriation initiative will focus on the GCC

However, only those residents who have received the UAE’s Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA) approvals via the online permit system will be allowed to board the flights to return to the UAE.

Information issued by MoCA on repatriation flights to UAE. pic.twitter.com/Dnq2X6iNKG

— MoCA_GoI (@MoCA_GoI) July 9, 2020

These Vande Bharat flights are operated by Air India and Air India Express. Besides these, charter flights operated by other UAE carriers bringing Indian citizens from the UAE to India will also be allowed to carry the ICA-approved residents on their return leg (India to UAE), the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation confirmed on Thursday afternoon.

All the flights returning UAE residents from India will only carry those passengers whose final destination is the UAE.

#FlyAI : @cgidubai https://t.co/nTzZtFInX5

— Air India (@airindiain) July 9, 2020

The flights will initially be operated for 15 days from July 12-26, “after which it will be reviewed as required,” added the ministry.

Passengers returning to the UAE from India are required to carry a Covid-19 negative test result conducted not more than 96 hours before departure.

Phase 4 of the Vande Bharat mission is currently underway after having begun on July 3.

As of June 26, Vande Bharat flights which began on May 8, have so far brought back 364,209 Indians from over 50 countries across five continents.