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Dubai, Jul 8: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has revoked landing permits issued to UAE-based private jets flying Indian expats who are willing to fly back to UAE. With this the operation of private jets from India to the UAE has stopped.

The development comes days after DGCA stopped UAE airlines from chartering repatriation flights to India. 

The DGCA’s decision has come as a huge disappointment for desperate expats who are trying every means possible to return to the UAE, and were shelling out up to Dh15,000 per ticket.
 
All charter flights were operating with the appropriate permissions and clearances for the specific mission, route and destination, said the charterers.

DC Aviation Al-Futtaim, the only integrated VIP handling and hangar facility in DWC, said in an official statement: "As a result of the DGCA suspension of flights into India, our Challenger 604 aircraft which was scheduled to land in Dubai today has been affected."

Afi Ahmed, managing director of Smart Travels, said he has received news from official sources that all approvals for operation of private jets have been barred until July 10.

"Even the flights that had been given approvals stand cancelled. Some flights organised on July 9 have also been grounded," said Ahmed, who was also stranded in Kochi, Kerala, till July 4 but returned home in the UAE on-board Global 6,000, the largest business jet, organised by a Dubai-based aviation company.

Ganesh Rayapudi, a UAE-based businessman who has been trying to organise flights from India to UAE, said: "The government has kept on hold all charters. At least 52 passengers were desperately waiting to come back from Hyderabad on these flights and were willing to collectively cough up Dh400,000."

He added: "I agree that it is unfair to those who cannot afford these prices. However, UAE residents have commitments here; they were tired of waiting and willing to go any lengths, including taking the expensive route."

On July 3, India's DGCA announced via an official circular that scheduled international flights will remain suspended till month-end and only those on a case-to-case basis will be allowed to operate. These flights were suspended on March 22 due to the ongoing pandemic.

New Delhi, May 1: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Friday issued an order under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 to further extend the lockdown for a further period of two weeks beyond May 4.

The current lockdown period is scheduled to end on May 3.

"After a comprehensive review and in view of the lockdown measures having led to significant gains, the COVID-19 situation in the country, Ministry of Home Affairs issued an order under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, today, to further extend the lockdown for a further period of two weeks beyond May 4, 2020," read the order of the Home Ministry.

In red zones and outside containment zones, certain activities including plying of cycle rickshaws and auto-rickshaws, taxis and cab aggregators, intra-district and inter-district plying of buses and barber shops, spas and salons will be prohibited in addition to those prohibited throughout India.

A limited number of activities will remain prohibited across the country, irrespective of the zone, including travel by air, rail, metro and inter-state movement by road, running of schools, colleges, and other educational and training/coaching institutions, the order said.

This came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with chief ministers of several states last month where some of them suggested extension of lockdown.

Bengaluru, Apr 14: Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday demanded that BS Yediyurappa-led government should cut down on 'unnecessary' expenditures to mobilise funds to fight against coronavirus.

"Yediyurappa government needs to cut down on unwanted expenses which government is spending on several things in order to save the taxpayers money to fight against coronavirus," said Siddaramaiah here in a press conference.

He alleged that the ruling state government is indulged in corruption due to which the government is running bankrupt, adding that instead of mobilising funds, Yediyurappa government is only concentrating on auction of Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) sites.
Siddaramaiah claimed that the "BDA was already in loss".

"The present government does not have money due to its involvement in corruption. The Karnataka government must concentrate on cutting expenses and there is no need to waste money on unwanted things including vehicles for board and corporations chiefs," said the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader.

"Yediyurappa government has decided to auction more than 12,000 BDA sites to get benefit of Rs 15,000 crore, rather than fullfiling requirements of people of the state at the time of coronavirus crisis," he said.

In Karnataka, 247 people have tested positive for coronavirus, including 59 cured and discharged and 6 deaths, according to the Union Health Ministry.