UAE: Dubai-bound plane flies with one passenger amid covid curbs

Reportedly, the sole passenger on the flight was a golden visa holder who flew on EK 501 from Mumbai to Dubai, paying Dh909 for the one-way ticket.

"EK-501 Emirates plane operated from Mumbai airport to Dubai with one passenger. The flight took off at 4:30 am IST," told Mumbai Airport sources.

The UAE suspended entry for passengers from India on April 24, with only certain categories allowed to still fly into the country.

These include members of diplomatic missions, golden visa holders, UAE nationals, and passengers exempted and/or granted permission to enter by the UAE authorities.

Earlier this week, an Emirates statement said the suspension would remain in place till June 14.

The airline declined to comment on the matter, noting that it did not "disclose seat load factor data per flight level".

Earlier in April, the UAE had announced a ban on people travelling from India after a sudden increase in the COVID-19 cases for Indian passengers.