Coronavirus repatriation: India to operate 64 flights during May 7-13, ten from the UAE

Dubai - Domestic and international flights will continue to remain suspended until May 17, India's aviation minister added.

Sixty-four flights will be operated from May 7 to May 13 to bring back stranded Indians from abroad, said Indian civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has prepared a chart for the evacuation of approximately 14,800 Indian nationals stranded in 13 foreign countries by 64 flights within week one of the operation. According to the chart, about 2,000 Indians will be evacuated from the UAE.

Speaking during a press interaction, Puri said, "A total of 10 flights from UAE, 2 from Qatar, 5 from Saudi Arabia, 7 from the UK, 5 from Singapore, 7 from the US, 5 from Philippines, 7 from Bangladesh, 2 from Bahrain, 7 from Malaysia, 5 from Kuwait, and 2 from Oman will be operated during this period."

Out of 64 flights to bring back stranded Indians from abroad, 15 will land in Kerala, and 11 from nine countries will land in Tamil Nadu, said the minister. A total of seven will land in Maharashtra and 11 in Delhi NCR.

"Those arriving by repatriation flights to be screened and put under a 14-day quarantine", the minister said.

The rates fixed for the journey will be Rs50,000 (Dh2,425) for London-Mumbai, similarly for London to Ahmedabad, London to Bengaluru and London to Delhi. For Chicago-Delhi-Hyderabad the rough cost will be about Rs1 lakh (Dh4,850), the minister added.

Domestic and international flights will continue to remain suspended until May 17, he said, adding that flights will resume in a graded manner when they do.
During the first week, the repatriation will be carried out by Air India, the country's national airline, the minister said.