Airline major IndiGo will recommence its UAE bound flights from August 20. In a statement issued on Thursday afternoon, the airline said: "IndiGo will recommence flight operations between India and the UAE from 01.30 IST (2000 UTC) tonight. We have informed all our passengers and any inconvenience caused is regretted."

The development came after the airline's UAE bound flights were cancelled for a week. Earlier, the airline had said that all flights to the gulf country have been cancelled due to operational issues.

"Due to operational issues, all IndiGo flights to the UAE stand cancelled till August 24, 2021. We have informed all our passengers and will support them with refunds or accommodation in other flights once we resume operations," the airline had said.

At present, stringent COVID entry requirements have been put in place for passengers going from India to the UAE. Notably, passengers travelling to the UAE from India have to undergo COVID-19 test at the respective Indian departure airport.

Earlier this month, in its effort to chart recovery for international travel, IndiGo had announced that it was set to launch a pilot for 'IATA Travel Pass’. The 'IATA Travel Pass' is a mobile app that helps travellers to store and manage their verified certifications for COVID-19 tests or vaccines.

Accordingly, the initiative is expected to help passengers 'easily and securely' manage their travel in line with any government requirements for COVID-19 testing or vaccine information. Besides, the pass will enable IndiGo passengers to create a 'digital passport' to verify their pre-travel test or vaccination status to meet the SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) of the destination.

Furthermore, the passengers will be able to share the test and vaccination certificates with the authorities as well as the airlines to facilitate travel. The app will also enable passengers to manage and save all their travel documentation digitally and seamlessly throughout the travel experience.