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Over 14,000 people will be brought back from countries including the UK, the US, UAE, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Bangladesh.
Amid coronavirus COVID-19 lockdown, the Centre on Tuesday said that it will operate at least 64 flights between May 7-13 to bring back thousands of Indians stranded in foreign countries, in one of the country`s biggest evacuations during the coronavirus outbreak. “64 flights will be operated from May 7 to May 13 to bring back stranded Indians from abroad,’’ said Union Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.
Over 14,000 people will be brought back from countries including the UK, the US, UAE, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Bangladesh. In the first week, Air India will be conducting all the flights, the Aviation Minister said adding that private airlines will be considered going forward.
Puri said that the Indians stranded abroad will be charged for flights bringing them home. 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, the rough cost will be Rs 12,000,” he said.
On May 7, a total of 2,300 passengers will be brought back from ten nations. On May 8, a total of 2,050 passengers will be brought back from nine nations. On May 9, a total of 2,050 passengers will be brought back from nine nations. On May 10, a total of 1,850 passengers will be brought back from eight nations.
Here is the evacuation plan for Indians stranded in 12 countries abroad by 64 flights by @airindiain starting May 7 pic.twitter.com/4FL1xnFGtx
— PIB India #StayHome #StaySafe (@PIB_India) May 5, 2020
On May 11, a total of 2,200 passengers will be brought back from nine nations. On May 12, a total of 2,500 passengers will be brought back from eleven nations. On May 13, a total of 1,850 passengers will be brought back from eight nations.
Here are the evacuation plans for Days 5,6 and 7 by @airindiain and #airindia Express pic.twitter.com/67fOypp1h7
— PIB India #StayHome #StaySafe (@PIB_India) May 5, 2020
Out of the total 64 flights, 15 flights from seven countries will arrive in Kerala; 11 flights from nine countries would be arriving in Tamil Nadu; seven flights from six countries will come to Maharashtra; 11 flights from nine countries are scheduled to come to the Delhi.
Another seven flights from six countries will reach Telangana; five flights from five countries will reach Gujarat; one flight will reach Punjab; three flights will reach Jammu and Kashmir; three flights from three countries will reach Karnataka and one flight will reach Uttar Pradesh.
On arrival, all the passengers will be screened and will be subjected to a 14 days quarantine period, Puri stated. The Minister added that all prescribed health guidelines will be followed while bringing the passengers home.
“The present exercise is a limited exercise to address the problems of those of our citizens who are in foreign countries and who are distressed and find themselves stranded. Either because their visas have run out or they are being deported, or they went to these countries just before the lockdown for work and need to get back,” the minister said.
“So, a comprehensive plan has been drawn up to address the particular issue of those of our citizens who find themselves distressed and have been stranded in foreign countries. Now if you have to bring 64 flights in at a time when we are under lockdown, this necessarily involves working out very detailed arrangements with a number of authorities,” he added.
Meanwhile, Puri also stated that normal domestic and international flights will continue to remain suspended till May 17. “I am reiterating that so that there is no conceptual confusion between what we are planning to do now and the resumption of normal civil aviation operations,” he said.