NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Civil Aviation, through the Consulate General in Dubai, has approached the authorities regarding the highly restricted access for Indian carriers at Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International Airport, a senior official said.
While restrictions on all foreign flights have been in place since February 28 and have been extended periodically, the latest restrictions from April 20 to May 31 are expected to hit Indian airlines hard, sources said. Each airline is currently only allowed one round-trip flight per day to each of the two airports.
A senior civil aviation official said the issue has been discussed with Dubai authorities through the Indian Embassy and efforts have been ongoing for the past ten days.
Air India Express, IndiGo, Air India and SpiceJet operate multiple daily flights to Dubai under normal circumstances.
An airline executive said operations were suspended after the standoff that began on February 28, with only a few special flights allowed initially. Airlines were then allowed one slot per day, which was periodically extended. The latest extension continues this restriction until May 31.
