Mangaluru: With the UAE Civil Aviation Authority gave an agreement for the RT-PCR test that was quickly carried out at Mangaluru International Airport (MIA), the expatriat here could sigh with relief, with the Airline Air India Express budget starting its first flight.
Dubai through Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday.
It will be the first flight to depart from Mia to Dubai, almost four months after the flight was banned by the UAE government from India.
Aie’s direct flight to Dubai will be on Friday.
Although the UAE allows expatriates to fly from India from August 5, airlines cannot operate from MIA, since the fast RT-PCR test, one of the main requirements for travelers to enter the UAE, is not available here.
RT-PCR testing that quickly began at the airport on Monday, and the UAE approval of the test was received by the airline on Tuesday.
The airline sources said that Wednesday Aie flights to Dubai were planned in a hurry, and they would be lucky to fly with even half capacity, because passengers would be difficult to pressure to get RT-PCR test results when the flight went into 2.45pm from Mia.
Also, this is an additional flight, this is a one-stop flight through Thiruvananthapuram, and will take 6.2 hours to reach Dubai.
“The expatriates who know this flight might be able to make it, because the test must be taken on Tuesday morning to get the results at night,” said an airline official.
On Thursday, Aie has a scheduled flight to Abu Dhabi at 3.50 in the afternoon.
Meanwhile , other airlines such as Indigo and Spicejet have opened bookings from Friday to Sharjah and Dubai.
Rates range from a minimum of RS 19,000 for initial bookings to RS 35,000 to RS 45,000 for Latekomer people.
Only Order Indigo shows the goal as Sharjah, which will help expatriates Has a residence visa, besides Dubai and Abu Dhabi.