Air India to fly in stranded folk

A total of 14,800 Indian nationals will be repatriated from 12 countries, including the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations, the US, UK, Singapore and Bangladesh on 64 Air India flights in the first phase of repatriation beginning this Thursday.

Since all passengers will have to buy their own tickets and also pay for the mandatory 14-day quarantine upon arrival, sources said the government is not calling it an evacuation. The preferred nomenclature is repatriation. “This is not a government of India sponsored exercise, we are only facilitating their return.”

Air India would charge the passengers on the basis of flight hours which would not exceed Rs 1 lakh per passenger, the government said.