Harris and Trump make final push in must-win Pennsylvania    Drones and snipers on standby to protect Arizona vote-counters    India's Modi condemns violence after Canada temple incident    Elon Musk can keep giving $1m to voters, judge rules    Al Ahli extends perfect start with 5-1 victory over Al Shorta    Mitrovic's hat-trick leads Al Hilal to 3-0 victory over Esteghlal    Tourism Development Fund launches "Tourism Empowerment" programs to enhance sustainable growth of SMEs    Saudi crown prince, Tunisian president review bilateral relations in phone call    SFDA Chief visits premier biotechnology and medical firms in China    Al-Khereiji: Collective action in combating terrorism is a must for achieving stability and prosperity    Saudi Awwal Bank becomes the Kingdom's first bank obtaining ISO certification for quality management system in operations    10 cooperation agreements signed during Saudi-Turkish Business Forum in Istanbul    Saudi Arabia's non-oil revenues grow 6% in 9 months while Q3 budget posts SR30 billion deficit    Quincy Jones, titan of US music, dies aged 91    Enhancing zakat, tax, and customs compliance takes center stage at the Zakat, Tax, and Customs Conference 2024    Neymar expected to join Al Hilal squad for AFC clash against Esteghlal, says coach Jesus    Al Qadsiah secure 2-0 victory over Al Ettifaq in first Eastern Derby since 2021    Hidden sugars in Asia's baby food spark concerns    HONOR unveils pre-order of the stunning HONOR MagicBook Art 14 Featuring an ultra-slim design, HONOR Eye Comfort Display and AI Cross-OS WorkStation    Teri Garr, Young Frankenstein and Tootsie star, dies at 79    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Filipino pilgrim's incredible evolution from an enemy of Islam to its staunch advocate    Muted Eid celebrations for millions of Nigerian Muslims    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



India begins historic evacuation mission with two flights from UAE
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 07 - 05 - 2020

DUBAI — India began the world's largest repatriation mission on Thursday to bring back citizens stranded abroad due to the coronavirus pandemic, with two Air India Express flights departing from Abu Dhabi and Dubai carrying a total of 354 passengers.
Some 200,000 applicants registered their names with the Indian missions in the UAE in hopes of being selected for the flights.
The repatriation mission, dubbed Vande Bharat, began with a flight from Abu Dhabi to Kochi with 177 passengers on board that took off at 5:07 p.m., followed by a Dubai-Kozhikode flight with 177 people at 5:46 p.m.
Priority was given to pregnant women and accompanying family members, people with medical emergencies, workers and housemaids in distress, families with canceled visas, bereaved family members who couldn't attend funerals back home, students, and stranded visitors and tourists. Two brothers who were stranded at Dubai International Airport for 50 days were among the passengers, the mission said in a statement.
Speaking to media at Dubai airport before the departure of the flight, Vipul, the consul general of India in Dubai, said, "In this flight we have 177 passengers. Many of them are pregnant ladies. We will have lots of Indian workers who are in distress, we have the elderly people and lots of medical cases, and some of the stranded visitors who could have come to meet their families or for tourism purposes."
"It's a good mix of people. And we tried to accommodate everyone who was in acute distress and who had been stranded for some time."
Nine seats were reserved for isolation on each flight in case a passenger developed symptoms during the journey.
Before boarding the flights, the passengers were asked to undergo a medical screening and only asymptomatic persons were allowed to travel.
"Dubai authorities have set up very nice facility for the people to go through ... tests before they are cleared for boarding," said Vipul.
However, on board the flights, the recommended six feet for social distancing will not be observed.
Upon arrival, all passengers will be placed in quarantine centers in their respective districts. Pregnant women, senior citizens and children under the age of 10 will be quarantined in their homes.
Temperature guns and thermal scanners were set up at the airport terminals to check the temperature of the passengers on their arrival. Those who have symptoms will be taken to a hospital via ambulance.
Those who do not have symptoms will be re-examined at health counters and then will be taken to the immigration counter. The Air India Express flight crew that flew to Kerala on Thursday wore full personal protective equipment, and the flights have special parking bays and aerobridges. Passengers' baggage will be disinfected with sodium hypochlorite.
In late March, India banned all incoming international flights as it imposed one of the world's strictest coronavirus lockdowns, leaving workers and students stranded across the globe.
As many as 2,000 Indians wishing to return home from the UAE are expected to be flown to six Indian states in the first week of the repatriation exercise.
Ten repatriations flights will be operating to Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Delhi, and Punjab in the first week of the phased repatriation, according to the Press Information Bureau of India.
The next flight to Kerala from the UAE will be operated from Dubai to Kochi on Monday.
There will be two flights to Chennai in the state of Tamil Nadu from Dubai on Friday and one to Lucknow in the state of Uttar Pradesh from Sharjah on Saturday. In addition, there will be a flight to Hyderabad in the State of Telangana from Abu Dhabi on Sunday, two flights to Delhi from Dubai on Tuesday, and one to Amritsar in the state of Panjab from Dubai on Wednesday.
In total, Air India will operate 64 flights from May 7-13 to bring back around 15,000 Indian nationals stranded across the world amid the COVID-19-induced lockdown, India's Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said a virtual press conference on Tuesday.
Private Indian airlines may join the repatriation effort after May 13, he added.
"I want to reiterate that this is a limited operation which does not signal resumption of domestic and international civil aviation services. We will consider reopening the Indian skies only after the current lockdown. This will depend on the evolving situation on the ground," he wrote on twitter. — Al Arabiya English


Clic here to read the story from its source.