The first Air India flight, AI1975, from Delhi, landed at Sharjah International Airport at 10.30 am on Sunday morning, said a senior Air India official in Dubai.

At least three flights have already departed from the Indian cities of Delhi, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, as of 10.50am, revealed expat groups and in-flight passengers.

More flights are expected to take off during the course of the day, according to airlines and travel agents.

Emirates Airlines flight EK511 from Delhi to Dubai will be one of the first to land in the emirate later this afternoon, according to Mohit Mulchandani, an expat who assists stranded Indians on the Facebook and WhatsApp support group 'UAE residents in India'.

In a message to passengers travelling on July 12, Mulchandani said, "For all those who fly today, we are so proud of you for having held so long and now making a move back home. You shall be our travel warriors since you took on the responsibility of being the first to go through the complicated process of our return."

According to an Air India Express official, IX 738 from Thiruvananthapuram is expected to land in Dubai at 12.55pm today.

Last week, India's Ministry of Civil Aviation announced that UAE residents with valid ICA and GDFRA approvals, and Covid-19 negative test results, who are currently stuck in India, can fly back to the emirates on charter flights organised by UAE carriers as well as the Indian government's Vande Bharat Mission flights for a period of 15 days starting today (July 12).

dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com

Dhanusha Gokulan

Originally from India, Dhanusha Gokulan has been working as a journalist for 10 years. She has a keen interest in writing about issues that plague the common person, and will never turn down a human interest story. She completed her Bachelor in Arts in Journalism, Economics, and English Literature from Mangalore University in 2008. In her spare time, she dabbles with some singing/songwriting, loves travelling, and Audible is her favourite mobile application. Tweet at her @wordjunkie88

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