International flights at India's Chennai International Airport have resumed after a four-month suspension.
The airport in the state of Tamil Nadu is the third busiest in the country, but only domestic and repatriation flights have been allowed to operate at Chennai since late March.
Now, the airport will serve international destinations, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, under an air corridor that the Indian authorities have established with the UAE.
As Chennai airport gears up to welcome more international flights, several coronavirus safety measures have been put in place. These include isolation rooms, increased disinfection procedures and social distancing measures.
Travellers flying into Chennai will undergo thermal screening, according to guidelines published by the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
Covid-19 testing will be carried out on passengers arriving from Maharashtra, Gujarat and Delhi, with other travellers subject to random testing upon arrival.
Travellers are expected to quarantine for 14 days, and although the Indian government has said those with negative test results will be allowed to quarantine at home, the Tamil Nadu state government still has not announced whether it will follow suit. Any travellers who have left the state for less than 48 hours are exempt from quarantine rules, unless they show symptoms of the virus.
Travellers flying to Chennai must register on the Tamil Nadu state website to obtain an e-pass. This will be checked by airlines before passengers are allowed to board flights.
Travel regulations are changing regularly and the AAI advises all travellers to check each state government's website for updates before flying.
Flights to the UAE
From Abu Dhabi, Etihad is currently operating special services to Chennai, but the national airline of the UAE plans to resume regular operations to and from the south Indian city from September 1. All passengers flying with the airline need a negative Covid-19 test result before travelling.
Emirates has operated several repatriation flights to Chennai, but has not released a date for when normal passenger services will resume.
Flydubai looks set to resume its regular flights to Chennai in August according to information from RoutesOnline. The low-cost airline has filed plans to operate three flights a week according to the aviation website. These plans could change, however.
Air Arabia is set to resume flights from Sharjah to Chennai from September 2, and several Indian airlines including Air India Express, GoAir and IndiGo, have announced schedules for flights from Chennai to Dubai, Sharjah or Abu Dhabi.
Etihad plans to resume flights to cities across India
Coronavirus case numbers in the state of Tamil Nadu are still rising, with 5,918 positive test results recorded on August 16. On the same day, two air passengers – one from Malaysia and one from Odisha in east India, tested positive at Chennai.
India has the third highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the world, behind only Brazil and the US. The country has experienced more than 50,000 virus-related deaths.
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 380hp at 5,800rpm
Torque: 530Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Price: From Dh299,000 ($81,415)
On sale: Now
The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?
If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, semi-final result:
Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona
Liverpool win 4-3 on aggregate
Champions Legaue final: June 1, Madrid
21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Yuval Noah Harari, Jonathan Cape
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
More coverage from the Future Forum
TOURNAMENT INFO
Fixtures
Sunday January 5 - Oman v UAE
Monday January 6 - UAE v Namibia
Wednesday January 8 - Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 - Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 - UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid, Darius D’Silva, Karthik Meiyappan, Jonathan Figy, Vriitya Aravind, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Chirag Suri
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
