Cochin Airport: Over 140 Passengers Travel To UAE After Mandatory RT-PCR Tests

Cochin International Airport on Monday starts its international flight operations with special flights carried as many as 146 passengers to UAE after undergoing the mandatory Rapid PCR tests at the airport itself.

The flight is operated under the air bubble arrangements amid the travel ban imposed by GACA on India and 13 other countries till 21st July 2021.

“The Rapid PCR testing facility established by CIAL at its international terminal is becoming a great boon for the passengers traveling to UAE. On Monday as many as 146 passengers were able to travel to the UAE as CIAL facilitated the mandatory testing which gave out the result in less than half an hour,” a release issued by the CIAL said.

In continuation with this, the Dubai Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management amended the travel protocol for Indian passengers on its June 19 circular permitting them to arrive at UAE with the compliance of rules including a mandatory Rapid PCR negative certificate taken within 4 hrs prior to the departure, it said.

It must be noted that the Cochin International Airport (CIAL) on 28th June has set up a Rapid PCR testing facility for passengers visiting the UAE following an advisory by the Dubai Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management that a COVID-negative certificate obtained before 48 hours of the journey is mandatory to travel to the Gulf country.

S Suhas, the MD of Cochin International Airport took measures to find suitable labs which were authorized by Kerala Medical Corporation Ltd for operating the Rapid PCR testing center.

After the RT-PCR test facility has started, today 146 passengers on special permission could travel to the UAE by an Etihad flight which left at 0815 hours.

The testing center at the airport has the capacity to carry out the test on 200 passengers in an hour, the release added.

Also Read: Emirates Suspends Flights From Pakistan, Bangladesh, And Sri Lanka Until July 15