Dubai Civil Aviation Authority temporarily banned all Air India Express Flights to and from the emirate on Friday.
The suspension, which was initially due to last 15 days from Friday, September 18 until Friday, October 2, came after the airline transported a passenger who had tested positive for Covid-19 to the emirate.
Hours after the suspension was announced, Air India Express confirmed it had been lifted.
In a statement posted to Facebook, the airline said: "All Air India Express flights from/to Dubai will operate as per original schedule with effect from tomorrow September 19".
The DCAA had previously issued a notice to the airline on September 2 after another of its passengers travelling from India to Dubai tested positive for the virus.
On Friday, Air India Express confirmed it had transported two passengers with Covid-19 from India to Dubai.
"The notice has been issued on account of erroneous acceptance of one Covid positive passenger by the Airline’s ground handling agents at Delhi and Jaipur on Air India Express flights to Dubai on 28th Aug and 4th Sept respectively," it said on Twitter.
"As per information gathered, 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.
"The Airline has reiterated the instructions to the handling agencies in India to strictly adhere to the regulation / SOP in relation to acceptance of passengers on the Airline’s flights."
The statement added that the airline has instructed handling agents to implement a three-tier checking policy to "avoid such lapses" in the future.
"Based on the Airline’s communication to them, the concerned ground handling agencies have taken appropriate punitive action against their employees who have been held accountable for the lapse at Delhi and Jaipur," the statement adds.
The airline also confirmed it had sent a letter to DCAA prior to the notice being issued to offer its "profuse apologies".
The National has approached the DCAA and Air India Express for further comment.
Air India Express's two scheduled flights from Dubai International Airport on Friday to Dehli and Mangalore have been cancelled. A member of staff at the airline's Sharjah office told The National that all of Air India Express's inbound flights to Dubai on Friday were being rerouted to Sharjah International Airport.
The DCAA has instructed Air India Express to pay all expense incurred by the relevant authorities, as well as any medical bills or quarantine costs of other passengers on the flight, as well as any other expenses incurred.
It also advised the airline that it will need to submit a “detailed corrective action/procedure” plan to prevent the same thing from happening again.
Air India Express has been operating flights between India and the UAE under the two countries' air bubble agreement. It has been repatriating a number of passengers to India as part of the Vande Bharat Mission, and has been flying passengers eligible to return to the UAE back from India.
The UAE government rules dictate that all passengers travelling from India need to show an original negative certificate from a PCR test done no more than 96 hours prior to the flight.
The temporary ban comes after Hong Kong suspended all Air India flights on August 19 until August 31 due to a number of passengers testing positive for the virus after arriving on one of its flights.
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Tonight's Chat on The National
Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster who has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others.
Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.
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PROFILE OF CURE.FIT
Started: July 2016
Founders: Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagori
Based: Bangalore, India
Sector: Health & wellness
Size: 500 employees
Investment: $250 million
Investors: Accel, Oaktree Capital (US); Chiratae Ventures, Epiq Capital, Innoven Capital, Kalaari Capital, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Piramal Group’s Anand Piramal, Pratithi Investment Trust, Ratan Tata (India); and Unilever Ventures (Unilever’s global venture capital arm)
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Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
MATCH INFO
Everton 2 Southampton 1
Everton: Walcott (15'), Richarlison (31' )
Southampton: Ings (54')
Man of the match: Theo Walcott (Everton)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
