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.
Comments
This attack on Karnataka by BJP. Why did not they raid houses of BJP leaders who have become rich after BJP came to power. Reddy brothers are roaming freely and had lavesh wedding of their daughter. IT department are sleeping
Timing is good!!. Each one repeats same in cycle and then they may stop doing corruption. But Indian political population is a strange one and may start bribing each other! Congress also did all kind of tactics! Timing of investigation of corrupt DMK - daughter!
How can congress explain recovery of 10.5 crores cash from the minister's residence?Is it not embarrassing for congress leaders who called the raid witch - hunt?
What does BJP say about corruption of their own leaders. How many raids were given on the corrupt leaders of BJP. There are not hundred but thousand cases of corruption of BJP leaders. Recently in Chhatishgarh, one minister Brijmohan Aggarwal has encroached the government land. A few days ago Chief of Kerala BJP was caught for taking bribe of Rs 6 crores. After demonetization maximum black money was recovered from these BJP leaders. Before demonetization, dubious land deals were executed with their black money as they know fully that demonetization was to be declared by their party.. Black money was recovered from the BJP leader in Punjab as well from Madhya Pradesh leader. Who is funding Amit Shah who is roaming using chartered planes from one place t0 another place. What were the sources of funds during elections either for the Centre or for the states. Admitted Congress is corrupt but BJP is the most corrupt party in India.Wherefrom they got 15 crores to purchase MLAs.
All corrupt politicians are the feathers of the same bird. All are corrupt whether in the ruling party or in the opposition. Some of them are pro industrial and getting unaccountable money to be spent on their rival parties to let down. If any leader is corrupt and facing trial in the court, they either try to purchase the sitting judges or transfer them on the name of promotion. These tactics have been used by Modi Government in Gujarat to have clean chits in Godhara riots.The enquiry commission was appointed to enquire about who were behind the killings of innocent Sikhs, one Mishra was purchased by the Congress party and he was taken in Rajya Sabha.These commission heads are corrupt and working as per directions of the ruling party. How one can get justice. In India justice is denied to poor, downtrodden and minorities. These political parties have cleverly expert to change the facts into lies. They are expert to purchase and threaten others who are disagreed with them
How can there be black money? Demonetisation was supposed to eradicate it.
He's questioning the time, he's not questioning all that money that's been
seized!
"Mr. Shivakumar's mother hit out at Mr. Siddaramaiah accusing him of not
protecting her son."... ideal mother
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