Coronavirus: Air Arabia runs free repatriation flights for UAE nationals in Pakistan

Sharjah-based airline Air Arabia operated repatriation flights between Pakistan and the UAE, carrying Emirati nationals back home free of charge amid the coronavirus pandemic which left citizens stranded abroad due to flight disruptions and countries closing their borders and airspace, state news agency WAM reported on Sunday.

Two special flights were operated between Lahore and Multan in Pakistan and Sharjah International Airport on April 24 and 25, the airline said.

Air Arabia also operated repatriation flights from Mumbai, Delhi, Cochin and Hyderabad in India to Sharjah International Airport on April 20 and 22.

On April 17, the airline operated a repatriation flight from Nepal.

It had announced on April 15, that it would be operating a mix of outbound only passenger flights as well as cargo flights during the month of April to Afghanistan, Iran, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Sudan, Egypt, India and Nepal.

Last week, Khalid Abdullah Belhoul, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, said that almost 23,000 foreign nationals have been repatriated from the UAE in 127 trips which were allowed to pass through temporarily closed UAE airports.

He added that the authorities have brought home 2,286 Emirati citizens on 86 reparation trips from 43 countries.