KOCHI: With a few airlines reopening bookings,there are chances of flights to the UAE resuming operations by next week.
“Some airlines have started issuing tickets from July 16. But there is no guarantee that flights will resume by then,” said an official at a Kochi-based travel agency.
“Currently, ticket fare from Kochi to Dubai comes to around `17,000 to `18,000,” he said.For now, people who have either resident or work permits are allowed to travel to the UAE. Those who hold an investor visa are also permitted to travel.
A spokesperson from Air India Express said Emirates Airlines had reopened the option to book tickets recently, following which the AI Express also reopened the slots.“However, we still haven’t received any confirmation from the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority regarding the resumption of passenger flights. We are also waiting for the announcement as that’s our biggest market,” he said.
An official at Indigo airlines also said that while tickets bookings have been opened for passengers to the UAE, they too have not received any confirmation on the matter yet. According to officials at the Kochi airport, passenger flights are expected to resume only after July 21.