Aviation
Executive /
Asia
Crisis in India
Travelers turn to private aviation to escape the disruption caused by the pandemic
Embraer Legacy
Jety, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Gabriela Ramos
5/1/2021
Since commercial flights between India and the United Arab Emirates were suspended, and with the new wave of COVID-19 plaguing India, Indians have started to resort to private planes to try to go to Dubai, fleeing the chaotic situation of the country.
Many Indians living in Dubai are being held in India, unable to return to the emirate, as is the case of the family of T. Patel, a resident businessman in the United Arab Emirates who is trying to get a flight back for his sons and sister-in-law, who are in prison. in Bangalore. “I am exploring the private jet option. It is a lot of money, but if I have no other way to bring them, I will, ”he said. Another Indian in this situation is Purushothaman Nair, who is imprisoned in Kerala and says he is willing to shell out the necessary money to return. “My wife and I came to India for only ten days. We have to catch the plane at all costs to return to Dubai. There are a lot of people willing to pay, ”he said.
Ramon Kagie/Unsplash
The suspension of travel between the two countries canceled approximately 300 weekly flights. It is estimated that approximately 3.5 million Indians are residents of the United Arab Emirates.
Many Indians are now competing for charter flights to Dubai, with prices 35 times higher than normal. T. Patel spent more than $ 9,000 to get a flight back to his parents and niece. A flight from Bombay to Dubai, with 13 seats, can cost between 29 and 31 thousand euros.
In addition to concerns about being away from home for a long time, there is also a concern about contracting the virus while in India, as is the case with Jameel Mohammed, who traveled to Kerala to visit his son, but ended up failing to return and is now concerned with the possibility of losing his job. “If I am unable to leave in a few weeks, my job will be at risk. My employer presses me and tells me to return to the Emirates from other countries. I can't afford to spend that much money. But if the choice is between losing my job or getting a loan to travel, I will be happy to choose the second option ”, he said.
Private jet operators have been working hard to get more landing permits in the Emirates in view of increased demand. According to the general director of Enthrall Aviation Private Jet Charter, Tapish Khivensra, “these flights must obtain approval from the General Civil Aviation Authority and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs [of the United Arab Emirates]”.
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Gabriela Ramos
Gabriela is the latest addition to the editorial team of our website, having provided us with her solid background in editing, publishing and photography, and her interest and training in aviation history and historiography. His good taste and common sense and great cleverness and sagacity in the selection of themes and materials greatly enriched our vocabulary and narrative style. Gabriela brought unusual predicates and came to stay, helping to point the way of success of our portal.
   
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