An Emirates passenger jet flew to Dubai from Kochi in southern India with solely two households on board in a single day on Saturday.

A Dubai businessman’s household and one other group have been the 9 passengers on board the 360-seater Emirates plane that landed in Dubai early on Sunday from Kochi, in Kerala state.

Younus Hassan, chairman of Al Ershad Computer systems, informed The Nationwide that as holders of the 10-year UAE golden visa his household may journey, regardless of the suspension of passenger journey from India to the UAE till June 30.

He spent Dh9,000 ($2,450) on tickets for his 4 youngsters, whose ages vary from 10 to twenty, and his spouse to journey again to Dubai.

The household purchased economic system tickets however have been permitted to sit down in enterprise class.

The kids informed their father they every had a member of cabin crew assigned to handle them.

“It was a memorable journey. They acquired an unique, one-to-one service. They have been informed they may sit wherever and every of them had an air hostess to assist from boarding proper as much as immigration in Dubai,” Mr Hassan mentioned.

“The flight crew even assisted them with the Covid-19 take a look at on the airport.”

Mr Hassan had travelled along with his household to Kerala on trip in April and returned to Dubai earlier than the suspension of flights.

Common flights from India to the UAE have been halted since April 24 after a surge in Covid-19 circumstances and the rise of a brand new variant.

“My household waited for a while in India as a result of we thought the ban could also be lifted after Eid however when it continued, we determined they need to come again,” mentioned the businessman.

“The notification mentioned that golden visa holders are exempt and may fly, so this was potential for us.”

The 48-year-old businessman runs pc retail and repair shops in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Bahrain.

On Sunday, Emirates airline prolonged its suspension on passenger flights from India till June 30.

Passengers who’ve transited by way of India up to now 14 days won’t be accepted to journey from every other level to the UAE.

UAE residents, holders of UAE golden visas and members of diplomatic missions are exempt from the restrictions.

Teams of passengers from India have entered Dubai on constitution flights.

However the UAE’s Basic Civil Aviation Authority has warned it might prohibit personal jet operators from pooling seats on constitution flights, though household teams would nonetheless be allowed to rent jets.