NEW DELHI: Amid the spread of coronavirus, Iranian carrier Mahan Air will bring blood samples of nearly 300 Indians stranded in Iran and while returning, it will fly back Iranian nationals stranded in India.
The ferry flight cleared by aviation regulator DGCA will land within 24 hours in Delhi.
Civil aviation secretary Pradeep S Kharola on Friday said a flight from Iran will land in the national capital later on Friday, carrying sample swabs of stranded Indian citizens in the west Asian country - one of the worst-hit by COVID-19.
Once the flight lands, samples of Indians would be tested for coronavirus and only if found negative, the stranded passengers would be brought from the Islamic country, added the official.
There are about 2,000 Indians mostly from the Kargil area of Kashmir stranded in Iran. They had gone to visit a religious shrine in Iran but got stuck as regular commercial flights were suspended between the two countries following the spread of the virus.
Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that the Indian authorities were in touch with Iranian counterparts to launch operations for bringing Indians back.
Almost 2,000 Iranians are currently in India who would be flown back to their country by the ferry flights.
A team of Indian doctors have already been sent to Iran for ensuring that stranded citizens there are thoroughly examined before boarding the evacuation flight.