A new report has revealed how opening up flights between India and the UAE could slash fares, create jobs, and unlock over $1 billion in savings, but red tape is keeping passengers grounded.

The study, ‘Combined Skies: Unlocking the Benefits of UAE-India Aviation Liberalisation for Indian Travellers’, breaks down the huge economic benefits of expanding air services. Part of a broader investigation into a possible overhaul of UAE-India flight agreements, the report examines how tourism, trade, job creation, and even regulatory hurdles could be transformed by liberalisation. But with flights already packed, will authorities act before it’s too late?

Flights At Breaking Point!

India’s aviation market is soaring, set to double by 2030. UAE-India flights carried 19 million passengers in 2023, 30% of India’s total international traffic. Yet strict government limits on air services are choking growth, keeping flights expensive and hard to book.

Big Money, Bigger Roadblocks

The UAE is India’s third-largest trading partner, with trade soaring to $84 billion last year. More flights mean faster business trips, smoother cargo movement, and stronger economic ties. But without urgent action, both nations risk losing out on billions in trade and investment.

Tourism Nightmare?

UAE travellers flock to India for medical treatments, business, and holidays, but tight flight caps make trips more expensive and less frequent. Expanding air routes could supercharge tourism and create thousands of jobs in airports, airlines, and hospitality.

Passengers Could Save Big

More flights = cheaper tickets. A modest 5% annual increase in seat capacity could save Indian travellers $152 million by 2028. But go big, double capacity over five years, and that jumps to a jaw-dropping $1.05 billion.

Who Gets Cheaper Flights?

Not all routes will see huge price drops. Delhi–Dubai and Mumbai–Dubai are maxed out—more flights won’t slash fares much. But for smaller Indian cities, adding flights could send ticket prices tumbling and unleash massive demand.

India and the UAE are sitting on an aviation jackpot, but they need to act now before the opportunity flies away.

(Source: www.orfonline.org)

A new insurance scheme has been expanded to provide financial protection to thousands of Indian blue-collar workers in the UAE. This plan ensures safety and support for workers and their families in case of unexpected situations like death or disability.

What Is the Life Protection Insurance Plan?

This group insurance plan was launched by the Indian Consulate and has now gained support from Dubai National Insurance and Nexus Insurance Brokers. The plan offers:
Life insurance coverage
Disability benefits (partial or full)
Repatriation services (covering costs of returning mortal remains to India)

Who Can Get This Insurance?

• Any Indian employee registered to work in the UAE
• Groups of at least 10 workers
• Ages 18 to 69
• Valid for 12 months

What Does the Insurance Cover?

• Death from any cause (natural or accidental)
• Permanent disability (up to Dh35,000)
• Repatriation costs (up to Dh12,000)
• Cost: Just Dh32 per year

Why Is This Insurance Important?

Many companies provide insurance for workplace injuries, but there is no mandatory coverage for natural death. This plan ensures that families receive financial support even if their loved one passes away outside of work.

How Can Employers Get This Insurance?

Employers can sign up their workers through registered insurance providers. The Indian Consulate is actively encouraging companies to take part, as only 7,000 workers have enrolled so far.

How Workers can avoid online scams

Along with financial protection, the Indian Consulate has launched a Digital Literacy Programme to help workers avoid online scams. This 8-week course will teach workers how to recognise fraud and stay safe online.

• Available in English, Hindi, and regional Indian languages
• Targets 5,000 workers in the first year
• Helps prevent scams related to fake job offers and money transfers

Final Thoughts

This insurance plan is a lifeline for Indian workers in the UAE. It offers peace of mind for both employees and their families at an affordable cost. If you are an employer, consider signing up your workers to support their well-being.

For more details, contact your insurance provider or the Indian Consulate in Dubai.

(Source: The National)

In a scandal straight out of a spy thriller, three unsuspecting students bound for Dubai have been caught red-handed with over $400,000 (Dh1.47 billion) stuffed into notebooks at Pune airport. The discovery unfolded on February 17, when customs officials intercepted the trio — who claim they had no idea what was in store for them.

The plot thickened when it emerged that the students had received two mysterious bags from Pune-based travel agent Khushbu Agarwal, 41. She allegedly passed off the bags, claiming they contained urgent office documents for her Dubai operation. But what the students didn’t know was that hidden between the pages were stacks of foreign currency which had been meticulously concealed in a bold smuggling attempt.

Acting on a tip-off amid an investigation into a suspected hawala racket, Pune Customs unearthed the shocking secret. Indian authorities, in collaboration with officials in Dubai, quickly sent the students back to India — only to have them intercepted at the airport, where the currency stash was discovered.

The ensuing inquiry led to the dramatic detention of Agarwal, who confessed to owning the seized money during the interrogation. 

Further questioning resulted in the arrest of Mumbai-based forex trader Mohammed Aamir, the alleged supplier of the illicit funds. A subsequent raid on a forex firm in Mumbai uncovered even more foreign currencies from various countries.

Customs and Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) officers have since raided 10 locations across Pune, Ahmedabad, and Mumbai, tightening the noose around those involved. Both Agarwal and Aamir have now been placed in judicial custody, as the authorities continue to unravel the currency smuggling case.

(Source: PTI, HT)