Dubai, May 6: The Indian nationals cleared by the UAE health authorities and found to be asymptomatic will only be allowed to fly back home in one of India's biggest ever repatriation exercises, the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi has said ahead of the first set of flights on Thursday.
On Monday, the Indian government announced plans to begin a phased repatriation of its citizens stranded abroad from May 7. Air India will operate 64 flights from May 7 to May 13 to bring back around 15,000 Indian nationals stranded abroad amid the COVID-19-induced lockdown, India's Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Tuesday.
The first two special flights that will operate from Thursday to evacuate Indians stranded in the UAE due to the coronavirus pandemic will begin with applicants from Kerala, who formed the majority of the expatriates who have registered to be repatriated from here, Indian Ambassador to the UAE Pavan Kapoor has said.
"All departing passengers will have to undergo medical screening and IGM/IGG test at the departure airport and only those cleared by the UAE health authorities and found to be asymptomatic will be allowed to board the plane,” the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi said on Tuesday.
According to the embassy, all passengers will be required to sign an undertaking to undergo compulsory quarantine at the destination of arrival and bear the cost of the same.
“Each passenger, at the time of boarding would be handed over a safety kit containing 2 three-layered face masks, 2 pairs of gloves and pouches/small bottles of hand sanitizers. While on board the flight, the health protocol of the Ministry of Civil Aviation of India will be strictly followed,” said the embassy.
The passenger lists for the two flights on May 7 have been finalised by the Embassy / Consulate and sent to Air India Express for issue of tickets.
The Embassy / Consulate will continue conveying the details of further special flights as and when they are announced by the Government of India, over the next few days.
Less than 2,000 Indians wishing to return home from the UAE will be flown to six Indian states in the first week of India’s biggest ever repatriation exercise named Vande Bharat Mission—sans social distancing and COVID-19 tests, the Gulf News reported.
Only those cleared by the UAE health authorities and found to be asymptomatic will be allowed to board the plane.
The short-listed applicants, who were contacted by the Indian missions on Tuesday to purchase tickets for the first two flights to Kerala on Thursday, told the Gulf News that the tickets are priced around Dh 725 to Dh 750 (over Rs 15,000).
Sharjah resident Rasheed Thayyil said his 70-year-old mother Nepheeza Thottungal, who came on a visit to the UAE in February, received an email from the Indian Consulate in Dubai which quoted an airfare of around Dh725 (approx Rs 15,000), the report said.
Another applicant from Abu Dhabi Ambily Babu said she purchased a ticket at Dh 750 from Air India Express for her Abu Dhabi-Kochi flight scheduled to fly on Thursday evening, it said.
Air India Express which is set to operate the first two flights to Kerala on Thursday will operate its Boeing 737-800 aircraft, with a seating capacity of 186 economy class seats, the report added.
With nine seats reserved for isolation, only 177 passengers would be flown, it said.
The Indian expatriate community of approximately 3.42 million is reportedly the largest ethnic community in the UAE constituting roughly about 30 per cent of the country's population, according to information available on the Indian Embassy website.
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Hegde is correct. He did not say that bjp has come to power to change indian constitution. He actual said that bjp is in the power to respect constitution and respect all the religions. Media twisted his statement. Hegde is a silent person as like his Go matha. He never says anything bad to others. He loves every one and respects all religions. He did not provocate the mob in Sirsi and Kumta who damaged private and govt perperty worth crores of rupees. Actually he was there to stop any voilence. He is ready to sacrifice his life to maintain peace n the society. He tried very hard to stop people from burning police car and commiting murderous attack on police. He even tried his best to stop people from posting rumours in whstasp and media that one Hindu girl was raped by gang of about 10 muslims boys and they even tried to kill her. He even asked Honnavar people not to make Paresh Mesta death issue a big one as it was planned by insiders only. Mr. Hegde is a follower of Mahatma Gandhi and he respects Bapuji very much. He cries on death anniversary of Bapuji and hates the killer Godse. He never visits Godse Mandir built by sangh parivar. Hegde is eligible person for next PM or President of India. He should be awarded with all kinds of awards ie. Padma Chakra/Padma Bhusan/ Padma shri for his noble nature and respect to all the citizens. He will be remembered by our generations to come. He will be a hero. His face itself shows how decent and nice person he is. He is ready to get slapped on face by any one and will never take revenge. He is follower of Jesus and will ask anyone who slaps on his right side to slap on left side also. Really he is a great person. Media is trying to defame him. I think whatever media doing against him is political motivated and his enemies are tryig to bring bad name to him.
He ate back what he vomited just because of the pressure by Patriotic Indian nationals. It is in their contaminated dirty blood that these anti-national communal Manuvadi Aryan parivar neither recognize nor respect Indian Secularism, Indian Constitution and Indian Flag.
shame on you Mr. AK Hegde.....
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