Dubai suspends Air India Express flights for 15 days ferrying COVID patients twice

New Delhi, Sep 18: Air India Express flights to Dubai airports have been temporarily suspended for 15 days, starting today (September 18) until October 3. The authorities have alleged that these flights had ferried coronavirus positive patients to Dubai twice. Air India Express has also been penalised to bear all medical and quarantine expenditures of the coronavirus patients who had been ferried to Dubai.

For the next 15 days, the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority has stopped Air India Express from flying to Dubai, alleging that two coronavirus positive passengers flew on board the flights to Dubai on two separate occasions despite having COVID-19 positive test reports.

In a report, the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority said, "You are aware of our previous intimation made to you by our letter dated September 2 for boarding a passenger with a coronavirus positive test result, who endangered the other passengers on board and also caused a serious health risk."

The report further stated that boarding a coronavirus patient was in violation of the laid down procedures relating to the air travel to and from Dubai airports during the coronavirus pandemic.

"Therefore, all operation of Air India Express to Dubai Airports is temporarily suspended, for a duration of 15 days, effective from 00:01 hrs on Friday 18th September 2020 until 23:59 hrs of 2nd October 2020," it said.

"In addition to the suspension of operation, you will be further notified to pay all the expenditure incurred by the respective authorities for medical services and/or quarantine of any passenger(s) and the other passengers in the flight and also any other expenditure connected thereto," it added.