Vande Bharat Mission: Air India repatriation flight brings 234 people from Singapore

In one of the largest evacuation exercises since the 1990 Kuwait airlift, the government launched the Vande Bharat Mission to bring home thousands of Indians stranded abroad due to lockdown.
For representational purposes (Photo | EPS)
For representational purposes (Photo | EPS)

NEW DELHI: An Air India flight brought home 234 Indian nationals from Singapore on Friday as part of the government's Vande Bharat Mission, a senior airline official said.

The Boeing-787 landed at the Delhi airport around 11:45 am, the official said.

In one of the largest evacuation exercises since the 1990 Kuwait airlift, the government launched the Vande Bharat Mission to bring home thousands of Indians stranded abroad due to lockdown.

More than 60 flights are to be operated during the exercise between May 7 and 13.

The passengers waived, smiled and gave a thumps up to mediapersons after stepping out of the plane.

They were then screened and triaged for possible coronavirus infection.

After immigration and customs formalities, they headed towards paid quarantine facilities where they will spend 14 days, before going home.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a tweet said all arrangements have been made for the Indians coming from other countries.

"Delhi govt has made all arrangements for the Indians arriving from abroad,' he tweeted.

"Those belonging to Delhi will stay at 8-10 hotels that have been readied in New Delhi, South and South East Delhi as well as Aerocity, as paid quarantine facilities," said a government official.

Nearly 20 buses, including of DTC and UP, Haryana and Punjab transport corporations, were deployed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport to carry the passengers to quarantine facilities.

As per the standard operating procedure, resident commissioners and nodal officers will take care of people of their respective states with respect to transport and quarantine facilities.

Several medical teams drawn from municipal corporations and RTRM hospital were deployed to screen the passengers.

Strict precautionary measures were taken to ensure social distancing.

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