India begins largest repatriation exercise
While the first two flights arrived in Kerala on Thursday, flights will be ferrying in almost 2000 people daily over the next 7 days.
By IAR Desk
New Delhi: May 7 – India today began its largest ever repatriation exercise – Vande Bharat Mission – to bring back home almost 1.9 lakh Indians who have registered across the world. The actual number of Indian citizens to be repatriated is expected to be higher.
Air India and Air India Express began ferrying out flights to different locations across the globe, carrying passengers who had been stranded in India since the country annonced a nationwide lockdown on 24 March as part of its measures to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. On the return journeys these flights will be bringing in Indians stranded in different countries.
The first Air India flight took off from Delhi for Singapore at 11.15 pm, on May 7. On May 8, flights from Mumbai and Delhi will leave for Dhaka, London, Riyadh and San Francisco.
The airline’s subsidiary Air India Express has begun operating flights to the Middle East, where almost 10 millions Indians work and live.
Two flights from the United Arab Emirates arrived today to Kozhikode and Kochi, ferrying 363 people home.
200,000 Indians have registered for repatriation from the UAE alone.
On their return all passengers will have to undergo a 14-day mandatory quarentine period.
Pregnant women, people needing immediate treatment, those returning to attend ceremonies connected to death of a close relative, aged people needing continuous assistance and children under 10 years will be permitted to go to their houses, where they will be under strict home quarantine (self-isolation) for 14 days.
Others will have to remain at special quarentine facilities set up by the state.
The pilots and cabin crew were in PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) suit on the flights which carried the evacuated citizens.
The first flight from Singapore is expected to touch down on Delhi on Friday, March 8, at 11.30 am.
Flights will be ferrying in almost 2000 people daily over the next 7 days.
The Vande Bharat Mission is the largest repatriation exercise in the world.
