Vande Bharat Mission: Over 700 Indians return home; more flights on Day 7

Air India along with its subsidiary Air India Express are operating a total of 64 flights to 12 countries to repatriate 14,800 Indians back in the first phase

Under the Vande Bharat Mission, Air India's repatriation flight AI-1377, carrying 225 passengers from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia arrived at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport early on Wednesday. The evacuation operation is part of the country's largest-ever initiative to bring back Indian nationals amid the coronavirus-induced lockdown. Similarly, an Air India repatriation flight carrying 169 medical students from Dhaka in Bangladesh reached Srinagar on Tuesday. 

"Indian Embassy in Bangladesh and Indian Govt helped us a lot. We are happy to be back. We are thankful to the Indian Government," one of the medical students said. Ministry of Civil Aviation had said that a total of 6,037 Indians have been flown back to India in 31 inbound flights operated by Air India and Air India Express under Vande Bharat Mission in 5 days beginning from May 7.

"Under this mission, Ministry of Civil Aviation is coordinating with Ministry of External Affairs and state Governments for bringing Indians back to their homeland," the Ministry said.

Air India along with its subsidiary Air India Express are operating a total of 64 flights (42 by Air India and 24 by AI Express) to 12 countries including USA, UK Bangladesh, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Philippines, UAE and Malaysia to repatriate 14,800 Indians back in the first phase. The second phase of Vande Bharat Mission will be launched from May 16-22 during which 149 flights, including feeder flights, will be operated to bring back Indians from 31 countries, sources said.

176 people arrive at Mangalore Airport from Dubai; 135 people land at Cochin from Singapore

Air India's special flight from Dubai landed at Karnataka's Mangalore International Airport on Tuesday with 176 passengers. While another Air India Express flight, which had made a stoppage in Bengaluru, arrived at Kerala's Cochin International Airport with 135 passengers and 3 infants from Singapore. These two evacuation operations are part of the country's largest-ever initiative to repatriate nationals back to India amid the coronavirus-induced lockdown.

On Tuesday, the Ministry of Civil Aviation had said that a total of 6,037 Indians have been flown back to India in 31 inbound flights operated by Air India and Air India Express under Vande Bharat Mission in 5 days beginning from May 7.

Air India flight with over 230 Indians from Manila lands in Delhi

Over 230 Indians were repatriated from Manila, Philippines by a special Air India flight under the 'Vande Bharat' mission which landed here at the IGI Airport on late Tuesday night.

During the fifth day of the Vande Bharat Mission, both Air India and its subsidiary Air India Express brought back passengers from the UK, US, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and the Gulf states to several cities in the country.