Kochi: The Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) has reinstated the operations of the state-run airline Air India Express’ (AIE) after revoking the order it has issued earlier on Thursday suspending the services for 15 days for flying two passengers with Covid-19 positive test results from India to Dubai on two separate occasions.
AIE has received a ‘Notice of Suspension’ from DCAA on Thursday, as per which the airline’s operations to Dubai Airport would be temporarily suspended for 15 days, ie from September 18 to October 2. However, later on Friday night, DCCA revoked the suspension and AIE spokesperson informed that all its flights from/to Dubai will operate as per original schedule.
DCAA has issued the suspension notice to the airline on account of flying two Covid positive passengers from Delhi and Jaipur on AIE flights to Dubai on August 28 and September 4 respectively. The passengers who were seated in close proximity to the Covid positive passenger on each flight had undergone Covid test / quarantined as determined by the Dubai Health authority.
As per the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government rules, each passenger travelling from India has to bring original COVID-negative certificate from the RT-PCR test done 96 hours prior to the journey. According to sources, a passenger, who carried a COVID-positive certificate dated September 2, has travelled on the AIE Jaipur-Dubai flight on September 4. It was the same that happened in the case of the Covid positive passenger who had flown of Delhi-Dubai flight on 28 August.
"Boarding a passenger with Covid-19 positive test result for the second time, is contrary to and is in violation of the laid down procedures and/or protocols relating to air travel to and from airports in the emirate of Dubai, during the coronavirus SARS Cov2 pandemic,” said the DCAA suspension notice.
18/09/20 Anantha Narayanan K/Times of India
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