Saudi Arabia has permitted outbound passenger flights to India: AI Express

Air India Express said Saudi Arabia has permitted outbound passenger flights to India under Vande Bharat mission. On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia h banned flights to and from India amid a surge in coronavirus cases. In a tweet on Wednesday night, Air India Express clarified it would t carry passengers from India to Saudi Arabia.

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"Air India Express Vande Bharat Mission flights would continue to carry passengers on its flights from Saudi Arabia to India," it ded. In a circular issued on Tuesday, Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said it was "suspending travel to and from following countries: (India, Brazil and Argentina) including any person who has been in any of mentioned countries above in last 14 days prior to ir arrival to Kingdom". However, it excluded "passengers who have official government invitations”.

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Permits outbound passenger flights

GACA circular -- titled: 'Suspension of travel to countries where COVID-19 virus has outbreak' -- was marked to all airlines and chartered flight companies operating at Saudi Arabia's airports. Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates (UAE) host a significant Indian migrant population. Five days ago, Air India Express said that Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) h suspended its flights for 24 hours for bringing two passengers with COVID-19 positive certificates on August 28 and September 4. Dubai is most populous city of UAE.

According to rules of UAE government, every passenger travelling from India is required to bring an original COVID-19 negative certificate of an RT-PCR test done within 96 hours prior to journey. Scheduled international passenger flights have been suspended in India since March 23 due to outbreak. However, special international flights have been operating between India and Saudi Arabia since May 6 under Vande Bharat mission. total coronavirus cases on Thursday in India rose to 57,32,518 with 86,508 people testing positive in a day. death toll climbed to 91,149 with 1,129 people succumbing to disease in a span of 24 hours, Health Ministry's data updated at 8 am showed.

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