Update April 8, 2020: Flydubai has announced that in compliance with the governments of India and Pakistan, it will no longer be offering these services.

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Flydubai has announced that it is planning to start running outbound services to certain destinations in India and Pakistan from April 16.

You can currently only travel on one-way outbound trips, as the UAE’s restrictions on inbound passengers are still in place.

At this stage, UAE nationals are the only people able to enter the country, but there are also limitations on who can board Flydubai services.

Flights to India are reserved solely for Indian nationals, and journeys to Pakistan can only be made by Pakistani nationals.

Destinations in India include Mumbai, Delhi, Cochin, Kozhikode, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Lucknow.

Flight to Pakistan include Karachi, Multan, Sialkot and Faisalabad.

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With such a limited number of seats available (only a few flights per week for most of the routes), the prices aren’t the sort you’d normally associate with a low-cost airline, but they could provide a lifeline to people in urgent need of travel.

On the dates we tested, prices started from around Dhs1,800 upward, depending on the destination.

This news follows announcements from both Etihad Airways and Emirates about their own repatriation flight services, which are already underway.

There have also been exciting developments at Abu Dhabi Airport this week, with Etihad trialling new technology that could spot passengers showing early signs of Covid-19 and stop them boarding flights.

For peace of mind, Flydubai is currently offering greater flexibility on tickets booked with them. Customers can make changes without penalty and request refunds via a Flydubai voucher, valid for 12 months.

Images: Provided/Unsplash