NEW DELHI: The Civil Aviation Ministry has, through the Consulate General in Dubai, approached authorities over the highly restricted access for Indian carriers at Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International Airport, a senior official said.
While restrictions on all foreign flights have been in place since February 28 and extended periodically, the latest curbs from April 20 to May 31 are expected to severely impact Indian airlines, sources said. Each airline is currently permitted only one round flight per day to either of the two airports.
A senior civil aviation official said the issue has been taken up with Dubai authorities through the Indian Embassy and efforts have been ongoing for the past ten days.
Air India Express, IndiGo, Air India and SpiceJet operate multiple daily flights to Dubai under normal circumstances.
An airline executive said operations were halted after the conflict that began on February 28, with only a few special flights initially allowed. Subsequently, airlines were permitted one slot per day, extended periodically. The latest extension continues this restriction until May 31.
However, Middle East-based airlines such as FlyDubai and Emirates continue to enjoy unrestricted access to India, giving them an advantage over Indian carriers, the executive said. He added that Dubai remains a key destination for Indian travellers, making the restrictions particularly impactful.
A SpiceJet source said its operations have been hit hard, with weekly departures to Dubai dropping from around 75 to just 10. The airline operates flights from cities including Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Kochi, Pune and Jaipur, along with two daily flights from Delhi and Mumbai.
Air India Express, which earlier operated over 20 daily flights to Dubai from cities like Trichy, Calicut, Varanasi and Mangaluru, has also been reduced to just one flight per day, a source said.
IndiGo did not respond to queries, while an Air India executive declined to comment on the matter.