India-UAE flight suspension: Demand for private jets soars

India-UAE flight suspension: Demand for private jets soars

A day after the UAE Government announced an indefinite extension of the suspension of flights from India, the demand for private jet bookings soared, according to agents and operators. Stranded passengers are willing to cough up anything between Dh13,000 and Dh 16,000 per ticket just to get back to the UAE.

Since the suspension, several private jets carrying high-net-worth individuals, business professionals, golden visa holders and families have already flown into the country, business jet operators told Khaleej Times. However, these incoming passengers are subject to strict approvals from the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA). They have not been easy to procure, according to top private jet operators in the UAE. They said the GCAA has also declined several requests for operation.

Ahmed Shajeer, director for commercial at JetzHub, said: “The demand has soared since (Tuesday). However, very few flights have operated between India and the UAE till now. Tomorrow and day after, we have two flights operating from India to the UAE.”