India bars UAE airlines from operating repatriation flights

Our Correspondent

DUBAI
India has barred UAE airlines from operating chartered repatriation flights to its airports. The move has come after the UAE government imposed a curb on Air India and other private airlines from carrying passengers to Dubai. However, it has not issued a formal order yet.
On June 2, UAE airlines such as Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad and flydubai, were informed of the decision. As a result, some flights from Dubai had to be cancelled on July 3. India had closed its airports for regular international flight traffic on March 22 and the ban is effective till July 31.
Repatriation flights has led to disagreements between Indian and foreign governments. On June 23, the US had announced a ban on Air India flights that repatriated Indian citizens from the US because it said that India was allegedly violating a bilateral agreement by denying a US airline permission to operate repatriation charters from India.
Air India for its part announced that passengers who wanted to travel to Dubai on VBM flights needed special approval from the UAE embassy, making it difficult for passengers to travel. UAE airlines’ had requested India to allow it to transport passengers from India.