Kuwait suspends flights with India over COVID

Kuwait suspends flights with India over COVID

By B Izzak and agencies

KUWAIT: Kuwait's Civil Aviation Authority yesterday suspended direct commercial flights with India at the recommendation of health authorities after a steep rise of coronavirus cases in the South Asian country. The indefinite suspension took effect from Friday midnight. Passengers arriving directly from India are banned from entering Kuwait unless they have lived at least 14 days in a third country, a statement by the Civil Aviation said.

The ban exempts Kuwaiti citizens and their close relatives - spouses and children - and their domestic helpers. Air cargo flights will continue to operate normally, the statement said. "In view of the health situation, it has been decided to suspend direct commercial air links with India until further notice,“ the Kuwaiti government tweeted late Friday.

Expatriate workers make up some 70 percent of Kuwait's population and include hundreds of thousands of Indians. The region's busiest international air hub, the United Arab Emirates, had already announced on Thursday that it would suspend flights to and from India from today. As the clock ticked down to the shutdown of the air corridor between India and the UAE-one of the world's busiest-fares soared as Indians who could afford it scrambled to escape the