'We'll meet soon': farewell message being placed in passports of those flying out of Dubai

Departing passengers receive special 'Have a safe flight... We’ll meet soon' sticker on their document

The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai has launched a special farewell sticker for foreign citizens leaving the UAE. Dubai Media Office on Twitter

Since commercial flights around the world ceased amid the coronavirus outbreak, thousands of people have been stranded.

As repatriation flights have been approved, people are now flying out of Dubai International Airport and immigration officials are giving travellers a nice send-off by sticking a warm message in their passports.

The farewell sticker campaign for departing foreign citizens was launched by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai.

The message “Have a safe flight… We’ll meet soon” is being placed on the passports of people who have been stranded in Dubai due to the recent flight suspensions.

Passenger flights in and out of the UAE were suspended at midnight on Wednesday, March 25. The move was designed to prevent the spread of Covid-19 by air travel.

On Thursday, April 2 it was announced that local airlines had reopened bookings for special passenger repatriation services to select destinations.

Emirates is currently operating flights from Dubai to London, Brussels, Frankfurt, Paris and Zurich, although strict policies are in place to ensure travellers and crew follow physical distancing regulations in the air. On Monday, the airline also announced it will operate new flights to Jakarta, Manila, Taipei, Chicago and Kabul.

The Dubai airline is advising passengers to check requirements for their destination country on the International Air Transport Association’s website before booking.

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Take a look through this photo gallery of people returning home from Dubai Airport:

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Etihad is taking a similar approach, and is currently offering repatriation flights from the capital to Amsterdam, Brussels, Dublin, London, Manila, Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul, Jakarta, Melbourne and Zurich.

The special flights, which started on Sunday, April 5, are one-way only. On return journeys, the airlines have been repatriating Emirati citizens stuck abroad, and bringing in cargo and fresh produce.

Regular passenger flights from the UAE remain suspended as per a directive from the General Civil Aviation Authority.