HYDERABAD: The first flight to Hyderabad from overseas, as part of the Centre’s Vande Bharat Mission to bring back Indians stranded abroad, landed on Saturday night at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. The Air India flight, AI 988, brought back around 163 Indian nationals from Kuwait.
Several Telugus, who were part of the flight, expressed happiness over being brought back to the country. One of the passengers was Vijay Shanker, whose video was tweeted by the Indian Embassy in Kuwait. Vijay said that he had gone to Kuwait for work but after he lost his job two months back, he could not come back to India due to the lockdown.
An RGIA official told Express, “The entire airport has been sanitised. Physical distancing among passengers was enforced at all areas of movement. Passengers and crew were brought out from the aircraft in groups of 20-25. Airport health officials screened passengers using thermal cameras installed near the aerobridge. Glass shields have been provided at each manned immigration counter to avoid any direct contact between passengers and immigration officers.” The official further said, “The concerned airline, their ground staff and airport personnel were available to guide the passengers and to enforce physical distancing norms.
Every piece of baggage was sanitised by the disinfection tunnel integrated to the baggage belt. The airport had also kept fully sanitised baggage trolleys for passengers’ use. Seating arrangements were made and complimentary boxes of food for passengers were provided.”According to Health Officials, these 163 passengers will be quarantined in the resorts and hotels in the suburbs of Hyderabad with all required facilities. Ambulances have been arranged on emergency basis to take them to Gandhi Hospital if they show any kind of symptoms. The passengers will be on 14 day quarantine in hotels, and 14 days quarantine at home.