Vande Bharat Mission To Evacuate Stranded Indian Amid Corona Lockdown Begins Today

New Delhi: India on Thursday began one of the biggest evacuation exercises to bring back approximately 15,000 Indians stranded in 12 countries amid the lockdown.

Air India will operate 64 repatriation flights between May 7 and May 13 for the purpose.

Here’s a list of all the flights for Thursday:

The Vande Bharat mission had failed to take off on Wednesday simply because the COVID-19 test of the crew of Air India’s flights could not be completed on time. The results are expected by Thursday.

Also Read: Crew’s COVID Test Incomplete: Vande Bharat’s Maiden Mission To Bring Indians Fails To Take Off

On Tuesday, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs had further stated that a person who has an OCI card, or has held the citizenship of a foreign country, or held a valid visa of more than one year of that country, or had the green card of that country, can travel on the repatriation flight leaving India under the Vande Bharat mission.

Air India on Wednesday opened bookings for such passengers who wish to travel to London, Singapore and select destinations in the United States on flights operating between May 8 and May 14.

All scheduled commercial passenger flights have been suspended for the lockdown which is in force since March 25 to curb the spread of coronavirus. But, cargo flights, medical evacuation flights and special flights have been permitted by the DGCA to operate.