Two more repatriation flights to India left Dubai on Friday evening carrying hundreds of tourists and expats home.
Air India Express IX 0612 departed at 8pm for Chennai with 179 passengers. The second flight IX 0540 also left for the southern Indian city at 9pm with 176 people on board.
The Indian Embassy in the UAE said more than 200,000 residents had requested flights home.
Priority is being given to pregnant women, children, older people or Indian nationals with health problems.
“Those travelling have to take a mandatory rapid antibody test at the airport. We also keep some passengers on standby. Should there be any cancellations we try to accommodate them on the flights,” said Neeraj Agrawal, consul for press in Dubai.
“Yesterday, one passenger could not fly as there were immigration issues. Passengers who have a fine to pay or have problems with their Emirates ID will not be allowed to board the plane.”
Shruti Ganesh Kumar, a resident of Abu Hail flew out of Dubai on the second flight this evening.
Ms Kumar, who is 16-weeks pregnant, boarded the Air India Express flight with her nine year old son.
"I've been asked to reach the airport by 3.30pm today as we have to be tested for the coronavirus at the airport," she told The National this morning.
“I got a booking in the first attempt. I just hope all goes well.”
Deepak Gupta, an Indian national, has been living inside the Dubai airport for the past 50 days.
He is a transit passenger, who was heading to India from Hungary via Dubai when flights were suspended.
Mr Gupta is due to fly to Delhi on a repatriation flight but is awaiting details from the Indian embassy.
“I am in Terminal 3. The problem is that the Indian government keeps changing the schedule on a daily basis so I have no clarity,” he said.
Mr Agrawal said that 19 transit passengers are stuck inside the airport.
“They are being booked depending on the schedule of the flights. One left for Kochi yesterday and there are six others who are booked on a flight to Delhi,” he said.
The two repatriation flights that took off from the UAE yesterday were the first of 10 services between the Emirates and India over the next week.
The first flight from Abu Dhabi to Kochi flew out 181 passengers, including four infants.
Five people were taken to an isolation ward in a government hospital after they were found to have symptoms of Covid-19 at the Kochi airport, tweeted India’s official news agency, ANI.
“We’ve received reports of these passengers. They have been isolated. We are waiting for further reports,” said Mr Agrawal.
The flight from Dubai to Kozhikode repatriated 177 Indian nationals and five infants.
All the passengers will stay in quarantine for the next 14 days.
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.
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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
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How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
