Dubai Aviation Authority suspends Air India Express for 15 days for flying COVID-19 positive patients
Dubai Civil Aviation Authority on Friday announced that it has temporarily suspended Air India Express for 15 days. Air India Express will remain suspended from September 18 to October 3 for allegedly flying coronavirus positive patients to Dubai twice.
According to reports, Air India Express has also been penalised to bear all medical and quarantine expenditures of the coronavirus patients who had been ferried to Dubai.
"You are aware of our previous intimation made to you by our letter dated September 2 for boarding a passenger with a coronavirus positive test result, who endangered the other passengers on board and also caused a serious health risk," the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority said.
It further added that boarding a coronavirus patient was in violation of the laid down procedures relating to the air travel to and from Dubai airports during the coronavirus pandemic.
"Therefore, all operation of Air India Express to Dubai Airports is temporarily suspended, for a duration of 15 days, effective from 00:01 hrs on Friday 18th September 2020 until 23:59 hrs of 2nd October 2020," it said.
"In addition to the suspension of operation, you will be further notified to pay all the expenditure incurred by the respective authorities for medical services and/or quarantine of any passenger(s) and the other passengers in the flight and also any other expenditure connected thereto."
Meanwhile, Air India has been requested to submit a detailed corrective action or procedure implemented to prevent such incidents from happening again.
