Over 13,000 people returned to India under Vande Bharat: Hardeep Singh Puri

Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, on Saturday, said that over 13,000 people have returned to India under the first phase of the Vande Bharat mission.

"More than 13,000 people have already returned on various flights under Mission Vande Bharat so far. Today, 812 citizens have returned on Air India and AirIndia Express flights from Newark, London, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. More flights continue," Puri wrote on Twitter.

Vande Bharat Mission, which started on May 7 to bring back stranded Indian nationals back home from other countries, initiated its second phase of the operation from Saturday (May 16) by sending three Air India flights to Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Under the second phase of Vande Bharat Mission a total of 149 flights, including feeder flights, will be operated to bring back Indians from 40 countries.

Out of the 149 flights, 13 flights will come from the US, 11 from the UAE, 10 from Canada, nine each from Saudi Arabia and the UK, eight each from Malaysia and Oman, seven each from Kazakhstan and Australia.