Flight suspension from Pakistan, India to UAE extended till July 28: Emirates

• Emirates airline extends suspension of flights from South Asia.
• Says UAE nationals, Golden Visa holders and members of diplomatic missions are exempt from ban.
• Suspension extended under directives of UAE government.

DUBAI: Emirates has extended the flight suspension from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka to Dubai until July 28 in line with the UAE government’s directives, the airline said in its latest advisory issued Friday.

It said that passengers who have connected through India, Pakistan, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka in the last 14 days will not be accepted to travel from any other point to the UAE.

UAE nationals, Golden Visa holders and members of diplomatic missions who comply with updated COVID 19 protocols, however, are exempt.

“If your flight has been cancelled or impacted by route suspensions due to COVID 19 restrictions, you don’t need to call us immediately for rebooking. You can simply hold on to your Emirates ticket and when flights resume, get in touch with us or your booking office to make new travel plans,” the statement added.

Last month, the UAE extended the ban on flights from Pakistan and 13 other countries till July 21, Gulf Newshad reported, citing a Notice to Airmen.

The other countries include India, Nigeria, South Africa, Liberia, Namibia, Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic Of Congo, Uganda, Zambia, Vietnam, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka.

In the notification, the federal aviation authority said that exceptions would be granted to cargo flights, as well as business and charter flights.

Dubai, a business and tourism hub, is the most populous of the UAE's seven emirates. Throughout the pandemic, the UAE's seven emirates have set some of their own COVID-19 policies.