Govt to use five hubs to bring back Indians on Vande Bharat flights

Over 275 Indians stranded in Mexico, Peru, Portugal and Netherlands returned via Amsterdam in first such flight on Wednesday

The Ministry of External Affairs is co-ordinating with Air India and other foreign airlines to bring stranded Indians via aviation hubs of Addis Ababa, Amsterdam, London, Frankfurt and New York.

Over 275 Indians arrived in Mumbai on a KLM Boeing-777 aircraft from Amsterdam in a first such hub flight on Wednesday. The returnees included stranded Indians from Mexico, Peru, Portugal and the Netherlands.

The government launched the Vande Bharat Mission to repatriate over 300,000 Indians from various countries. Around 34,000 have already returned home on Air India and Air India Express flights since May 7. Some 1,500 Indians were brought home in a naval ship from Maldives and around 800 Indians returned on foreign carriers.

"We have been receiving repatriation requests from around the world. There are many countries especially in Africa, South America or East Europe which do not have direct flights to India. Operating an Air India aircraft only for transporting 50-100 passengers from a single country will not be viable and hence we have decided to bring Indians via these aviation hubs," said a source in the external affairs ministry.

Embassies in Peru, Portugal and Mexico facilitated the travel of stranded Indians to Amsterdam while the mission in the Netherlands co-oridinated with KLM and local government authorities for arranging the flight home and completing required health formalities.

"Next we are planning to use Frankfurt as a hub to bring back to Indians from Africa and Europe. Embassies in respective countries will facilitate travel to Frankfurt and Air India will fly passengers home from Frankfurt," the source added.

In a tweet on Tuesday, external affairs ministerS Jaishankar said the government is targeting return of 100,00 Indians from 60 countries in the second phase of mission by June 12. The scope of mission will be expanded in the third phase.

The government has now allowed stranded Indians to return on charter flights. Etihad Airways is operating four flights to transport 700 Indians from Abu Dhabi.

Arrangements are also being made to bring Indians who have been granted amnesty by West Asian states. Jazeera Airways has been given permission to fly Indians granted amnesty in Kuwait for visa or other violations, it is learnt.