Vande Bharat Mission Phase V from Aug 1

Our Correspondent
India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation confirmed on July 26 that Air India’s repatriation flights for its citizens in the Gulf wishing to return home in view of the COVID-19 disruptions will be extended into its Phase V from August 1.

The Ministry released a limited schedule for these flights over a six-day period ending on August 6. However, airports which were not included in the previous phases will be included this time, denoting an expansion in repatriations.

In the UAE, these flights will pick up Indians from Sharjah and also bring back passengers of certain categories from India to Sharjah. The repatriation flights from the Middle East will cover airports in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar.

A more detailed schedule in Phase V that will include flights by other Indian carriers such as Air India Express and some private airlines is being finalised and is expected to be released before August 1 when new schedules go into effect.

Air India clarified that domestic flights announced as part of the Phase V repatriation schedule will not accommodate domestic passengers. They are meant exclusively for arrivals on ‘Vande Bharat’ repatriation programme to be connected to destinations within India.