Indian millionaires and businessmen who are expats in UAE, but currently stranded in their homeland, are swamping jet operators to bring them back to UAE for safety.
The demand increases as India battles surge in COVID-19 infections, reported AFP. An estimated 1.5 million Indians work and live in UAE.
They aim to use an exemption for private business planes that was in effect last year during the first wave of the global crisis.
The UAE implemented flight suspensions to and from India last Sunday, affecting some 300 commercial flights to and from India.
India has 18.5 million infections and more than 201,000 people dead. The country also recorded an average of 3,000 daily deaths this week.
“I am exploring the private jet option. It is a lot of money but if I have no other way of bringing them back, then I will go for it,” T.Patel, a businessman from India told the AFP.
Patel paid $10,500 (AED38,566) to get his parents and niece to Dubai, nearly 20 times the cost of regular tickets.
“I waited for two months and finally hired a private jet for $42,000 (AED154,267), the cost of which was shared by a few equally desperate residents,” he said.
