India flights to UAE suspended until June 14 at least

Authorities have not ruled out an extension due to the Covid-19 surge

A cargo plane bound for Delhi waits on the tarmac at Helsinki airport in Finland on May 11, 2021 to be loaded with oxygen tanks and ventilators, which Indian hospitals are badly in need of, under an EU aid scheme. AFP

A crew member straps in the cargo of medical oxygen and ventilators on a plane bound for Delhi, India, at Helsinki airport. AFP

Passengers arriving on international flights get their Covid-19 coronavirus screening done at the Anna International airport in Chennai on April 28, 2021. AFP

Liquid oxygen tankers arrive at at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata. They are used to refill portable cylinders that can help patients to breathe. Reuters

An Indian Air Force cargo plane on the tarmac at Dubai World Central. Three empty containers brought from Gujarat were refilled before being sent back to Indian hospitals. Courtesy: Indian Ministry of Defence

Countries across the globe have halted arrivals from India following a dramatic surge in cases in April and May. Reuters

Related: UAE threatens to ban private jet firms for selling seats on per person basis

Passenger flights from India will remain suspended until at least June 14, Emirates said.

Those who have transited through India in the past 14 days will not be able to travel from any other point to the UAE, the airline added.

It gave an update on its website on Sunday.

Authorities gave no end date for the ban that began on April 24, but the move is subject to review.

India has recorded a surge in coronavirus cases in recent weeks, placing a huge strain on the country's healthcare system.

Several categories of passenger are exempt from the ban, including Emiratis stranded in India, people with a UAE 'golden visa' and members of diplomatic missions.

Despite the ban, a number of Indians have spent thousands of dollars on charter flights to Dubai.

The UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has threatened to ban private jet operators from pooling charter flights between passengers.

Business jet companies received an official circular to remind them that selling seats on a per person basis is prohibited.

“When business aircraft are used to transport passengers from restricted destinations, they shall not be pooled or sold per seat,” the authority said.

“Operators hired for pooling or 'per seat offer' may be banned from operating in the UAE. [The] GCAA is collecting all information required from local authorities to verify flight and passenger information.”

The number of new daily cases of Covid-19 in India has been above 300,000 most days since late April.

Hospitals have struggled to replenish oxygen supplies in particular, which are needed for people with moderate to severe symptoms.

Covid-19 latest in India - in pictures