Stranded tourists, emergency travellers to benefit from UAE air corridors
Travel industry specialists for Emirates News Agency have said the majority of users of air corridors the UAE has introduced with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries will be those who are stuck in the country and individuals who want to travel in case of emergencies. The step will enable airlines to run a limited number of their allocated flights, helping alleviate congestion.
“The air corridor, again, is permitting airlines to operate at around 20 to 30 per cent of their capacity,” said COO of musafir.com.“This facilitates an orderly exit that enables tourists, transit passengers and those with emergency travel purposes to return home.”
UAE announced on Tuesday that it would start operating up to 48 flights an hour, part of a gradual resumption of air traffic after the regional developments in recent days.
This will also enable launching of flights to vital routes, said Safeer Mohammed, general manager, Smart Travels.
“By virtue of the air corridor, planes will fly to certain critical places where a lot more passengers are moving,” he said. “This will help alleviate the backlog of passengers.
These flights, he added, would also make it possible to transport perishable goods, providing an additional supply of produce to the market.
UAE airspace was then closed on Saturday following the onset of the US-Israel-Iran war and subsequent regional escalations.
High prices
Raheesh said that these flights would cost a bomb as the air corridor had limited flights. “According to the laws of supply and demand, ticket prices will be high,” he said. People who need to travel urgently are having to pay those prices and do everything they can to get a seat.”
The travel industry is hoping for a smooth operation of the corridor, he added. “We’re hopeful that we’re smooth and a lot more routes will open up,” he said. “Currently, everyone is taking a wait-and-see attitude. “Of course, if everything is okay we are still hopeful that regular air transport will at least be partially reestablished before the Eid holidays.”
Stepping in to help
In the meantime, some community groups have started filling the gaps for those who urgently need to travel.
“There were people who needed to travel immediately to India for their medical treatment,” and other reasons, said Nissar Thalangara, president of the Sharjah Indian Association.
“When I was one, the cancer patient needed to go back for a check-up and further treatment. We assisted them in reaching safe passage to India. We are also negotiating a chartered flight to send all those who need it urgently for a very low cost.”
He said the association also assisted several stranded passengers. “There were a lot of people, some were students who got stuck in the UAE on transit,” he said. “We had some who were on a visit visa and whose visa expired. The government of UAE really helped and made sure all these people are taken care of well.” They really helped a lot.”
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