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In what is seen a major evacuation plan Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri explained that the government will operate at least 64 flights between May 7 and May 13 to bring back around 15,000 Indians stranded in other countries, in one of the country’s biggest evacuations during the coronavirus outbreak.
“64 flights will be operated in the first week of operation to bring stranded Indians from different countries from May 7 to May 13,” Puri said addressing a video press conference .
The minister said, the rates fixed for the journey from London to Mumbai is Rs 50,000. Similarly for those who are returning from London to Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Delhi will also pay Rs 50,000 for the journey. “For Chicago-Delhi-Hyderabad the rough cost will be about Rs 1 lakh. For Dhaka-Delhi flight, rough cost will be Rs 12,000,” he said.
These special flights would be operated by Air India and its subsidiary, Air India Express, to repatriate Indians from 12 countries—the UAE, the UK, the US, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman—said the officials.
India has been under a lockdown since March 25 to curb the spread of the coronavirus and it will continue till May 17. All commercial passenger flights have been suspended for this period.
Therefore, the ministry of home affairs announced it will facilitate the return of asymptomatic Indian nationals stranded abroad from May 7 onwards, in a phased manner, through aircraft and naval ships on a payment basis.
Meanwhile, Stranded Indians who will be brought back by special flights from abroad will have to download ‘Aarogya Setu’ mobile app and detailed procedures for this entire evacuation operation will be issued.
