Flying to Dubai? Airline and airport managers reserve right to admission

Travellers from East Africa to Dubai are now facing more stringent conditions, with airlines like Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines, which ply that route, staring at a slowdown in business in the festive season.

On Wednesday, Dubai through its Covid-19 Command and Control Centre (CCC), put travellers from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi, Nigeria, Zambia, Cameroon, and Chad under new measures as it sought to control the spread of Covid-19.

Dubai’s decision came days after Ghana put in place strict measures, including a $3,500 fine for airlines ferrying unvaccinated passengers, and a requirement for a rapid PCR test on arrival at a cost of $150 per passenger.

Under the new measures by Dubai, travellers from Africa will now be required to provide a Rapid PCR test report conducted at the departure airport six hours before departure to Dubai.

This is in addition to a negative Covid-19 test certificate issued within 48 hours of arrival in Dubai.

The new rules, which apply to both passengers terminating their journey and those transiting through Dubai, are expected to spoil the party for Africans, most of whom prefer Dubai as a transit point, due to its interconnectivity and the lower fares charged by its national carrier, Emirates Airlines.

Source: The East African