Travel

The second phase of Vande Bharat Mission -- meant to bring back Indian citizens stranded abroad due to the worldwide lockdown induced by the coronavirus -- will be held between May 16 and May 22. Sources said 149 flights, including feeder flights, will be deployed to bring back people from 31 countries.This time, the government is expected to operate 13 flights to the US, 9 to the UK, 10 to Canada, 11 to the United Arab Emirates, 9 to Saudi Arabia, six to Russia and seven to Australia, There will also be flights to France, Italy, Germany, Ireland and several…

An Air India flight carrying 129 Indian nationals from Dhaka, Bangladesh, landed at Delhi airport today as part of Vande Bharat Mission to bring back stranded Indians from different countries.The first Air India flight of Vande Bharat Mission from Bangladesh amid the lockdown, carrying 167 stranded passengers, all medical students, had arrived in Srinagar on Friday.India began phased repatriation of its citizens stranded abroad during the coronavirus crisis from May 7. The government had said that Air India will operate 64 flights in a week to bring back around 15,000 Indian nationals.

Karnataka, roasted over stopping the trains for stranded migrant labourers, has said it will restart the service tomorrow with three trains. The government has written to nine state governments, seeking their consent to send the migrants back. The list includes Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, West Bengal and Rajasthan. The trains are expected to run till May 15.The state had stopped the week-long twice-a-day train service yesterday, citing a beginning in its construction activities.Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa had said around 1 lakh migrants had left and those who remain would be needed to work at the construction sites. …

The Delhi government on Wednesday issued guidelines for screening and handling of passengers on their return to the city airport from abroad by repatriation flights amid the COVID-19-induced lockdown.In an order, the Delhi heath department said this is in view of the planned phased return of Indian nationals stranded abroad by the Ministry of External Affairs in coordination with the Indian Missions overseas.The order issued by the Delhi health secretary said guidelines have been issued for screening and handling of such passengers on their return to the city airport to mitigate the possibility of spread of COVID-19.