Vande Bharat Phase 3: 165 flights will be sent to Gulf region, 80 to Europe

On Wednesday, Air India started sale of tickets for Phase III flights from destinations in Europe to India and its website received huge booking requests.
Representational Image. (File | EPS)
Representational Image. (File | EPS)

NEW DELHI: With a view to ramp up the repatriation exercise to bring back stranded Indians, Phase III of the Vande Bharat Mission will see 80 flights being sent to Europe — two daily flights to London and two to other European destinations — between June 10 and 30.

On Wednesday, Air India started sale of tickets for Phase III flights from destinations in Europe to India and its website received huge booking requests.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has also started giving permission to more charters on foreign and Indian carriers.

In view of the huge number of requests from stranded Indians in the Gulf, 58 more flights will also be added to evacuate Indian citizens from the countries in the region.

“More than 70,000 citizens have returned and nearly 17,000 flew out of India on VBM flights till date. In addition nearly 1,10,000 people flew out and 55,000 citizens returned on more than 730 charters on foreign and Indian carriers permitted by DGCA. Permission for more such flights is in process,” Civil Aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri said.

Informing about the addition of flights under the VBM, he tweeted, “Starting immediately, number of flights from Gulf under Phase III of Vande Bharat Mission now increased from originally planned 107 to 165.”

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The New Indian Express
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