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Air India began on May 7 the first phase of one of the largest government repatriation operations with up to 64 flights flying to 12 international destinations to airlift some 15,000 stranded Indians who are trapped abroad due to to the COVID-19 blockade.
Flights operate from 12 countries in the first phase between May 7 and 13, while in phase two, the government is scheduled to evacuate from 31 countries with 149 flights between May 16 and 22.
According to the elaborate government evacuation, called the Vande Bharat Mission, Air India operates 40 of these special flights, while its subsidiary Air India Express operates 24 flights to repatriate Indians from 12 countries: United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, USA. Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman, officials said. PTI.
Officials also indicated that compelling cases such as doctors, seniors, family emergencies and those who are unemployed will be prioritized.
The first phase of the Vande Bharat Mission is currently in full swing. As of May 12 (Tuesday), as many as 6,037 Indian nationals have been evacuated on 31 inbound flights operated by Air India and Air India Express under the Vande Bharat Mission, according to the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
India airlifts stranded Indian citizens to 12 countries in the first phase between May 7 and 13, while in phase two, the government will evacuate 31 countries with up to 150 flights between 16 and 22 May. may. Image by Garima Kalra.
First comment He spoke to some passengers on these special flights about his return trip home. While most passengers were grateful for the opportunity to return home, they were ‘surprised’ by the officials’ lack of communication, not only for the pre-flight period and also during their trip home.
Lack of advance notice, rising ticket prices cause stress
Samruddhi Lunkad, a 23-year-old graduate student at the University of Sussex, said First comment, “On May 8, I got a call in the afternoon saying I was on the restricted list for the flight, which was the next morning. I live in Brighton, and London is about two hours away.”
In a desperate attempt to obtain secure tickets, he packed his bags and went to Heathrow airport, hoping to be able to buy a ticket directly at the airport, which was worth it. But at a great cost.
“Air India officials at the airport told me they had only one ticket left, which was a business class ticket at the price of 1,438 pounds (1.32,000 rupees),” he said. Lunkad bought it, “It was difficult to collect the money since I am a student, but some relatives sent me cash on the spot and I took the ticket.”
Another passenger on the same flight, Ayushi Shah, 23, a master’s student at Newcastle University, also noticed the increase in prices. Unlike Samruddhi, she traveled economy class, which normally costs around Rs 25,000 for a one-way trip, but now it cost her more than Rs 50,000.
Ayushi also struggled to obtain information about his tickets, written or verbal. “I received a call the morning before the flight telling me that it had been shortlisted and that if I wanted to go home, I had to be on time for the plan the next morning,” he said. First comment.
Living four hours from London in Newcastle, she trusted a student aid organization called Education Beyond Borders, and Community Response Kitchen provided her with a free stay and an airport transfer. Shah turned to Twitter to tweet live about his trip home.
With the help of Education Beyond Borders and Community Response Kitchen, I get a place to stay for the night and a break in the morning. #VandeBharatMission pic.twitter.com/zf7P33CdVg
– Ayushi Shah (@ shahayushi45) May 9, 2020
No social distancing on board, long hours of waiting
Both students noted the lack of social distance that was maintained throughout the flight. Ayushi said: “We were told at London airport that there would be no social distance on the plane. More than 300 passengers on a plane with no social distance maintained? Airport officials told us it was an approved government mandate to facilitate maximum passengers on the plane. “
According to government protocol, passengers were required to download the government contact tracking app Aarogya Setu, before boarding the flight.
Throughout the duration of the flight, “no social distancing was maintained,” the passengers noted. Image by Zubin George.
Throughout the duration of the flight, “no social distancing was maintained,” the students noted. Samuruddhi said: “The entire flight was reserved, no seat was free.”
Meenketan Jha, a 22-year-old student at Columbia University said First comment, “Social distancing practices were thrown out the window here. On the flight, passengers sat next to each other instead of a space between two people. On-board entertainment was not working and on a 15-hour flight , it can form a situation of absolute despair. “
He also noted that the entire trip was longer than usual, due to the various protocols that had to be performed. “We landed at 1 in the morning, but we didn’t leave the flight until 2.15 in the morning and when we left the airport it was already 5.15 in the morning,” he said.
Either way, all of the passengers have spent a lot of money out of their pockets to get home.
Choice of hotels according to the budget granted to the quarantine
Upon landing in Mumbai, the passengers’ body temperatures were again taken and their bags were disinfected. After going through immigration, all passengers are transferred to buses to take them to government-selected quarantine centers. Passengers have a choice based on their budget from 3-star to 5-star hotels to choose from, where they have to isolate themselves for 14 days.
The prices of these hotels vary from Rs 2,000 to 5,000 per day, which is multiplied in 14 days.
Garima Kalra, a student who was flown in from the Philippines noted that the free government facilities were not adequate. “The accommodation provided by the Center did not have adequate water, food or hygiene.” She chose to choose a hotel rather than isolate herself.
List of hotels, approved by the Bengaluru civic body, for passengers to be quarantined upon landing for 14 days. Zubin George’s picture
Garima said, “First we had to pay an advance of Rs 10,000 and only then did the hotel let us in. This system was out of our reach. We were very tired and nobody took care of it. Personally, I was so tired that when I finally got to the hotel , I felt that I could pass out at any time, but I had to wait in line to maintain social distance and finish all the procedures. “
While students in Mumbai were able to choose a hotel in Mumbai, Samruddhi was transferred to a hotel that she had not chosen. “After leaving the airport, passengers from Pune were driven into town on a bus. Throughout the trip, since we landed, they did not give us water or food. With all the stores closed, we could not even buy any. All of we were tired and hungry, “he said.
When she tried to ask why the bus couldn’t drop her off at the selected hotel, officials did not respond. “Throughout the trip, getting a single answer from them was very difficult. There was simply no one I could approach with my questions. All the time we were in the dark. Finally, we arrived in Pune, only to be isolated in the en outside the city limits, “added Samruddhi.
Samruddhi was forced to pay for the hotel even though she had booked another hotel before, as officials told her “she had no choice.”
Zubin George, another student at the University of Sussex who took the flight from London to Bangalore said the whole process was “better than anticipated.” He is currently self-insulating at a 5-star property in Bengaluru, which offers three meals and stressed that the price of the hotel room was actually lowered. “Normally you wouldn’t get a single-use room with all the meals provided at that price,” he said. First comment.
Minimal passenger-crew interaction for cabin crew safety, says Air India
An Air India cabin crew member, Swati (* name changed to protect identity) I talk to First comment on the various precautions taken by the carrier for these special flights. She said that before passengers were allowed to board, their temperatures were taken.
“All seats on the flight have a small safety box, consisting of a glove, a mask, a small disinfectant and a visor,” he said. Two food packages with cupcakes, sandwiches, juice boxes, and a one-liter bottle of water were placed along with the safety kit on each passenger’s seat.
But Zubin, who took the flight from London to Bangalore, noted that the last rows of the plane did not receive the safety kits. “Maybe they ran out of supplies, but my seat didn’t have these kits. Fortunately, everyone was wearing their own masks and gloves, so it wasn’t a bother,” he said..
Swati also said that crew members cannot serve or speak to any of the passengers, unless necessary. “We do not serve anything, as everything is placed in their seats, to minimize interaction with cabin crew and passengers. All crew members should wear suits, masks, gloves, boot covers and visor for hazardous materials, so they are given all security equipment, “he said.
All crew members, including pilots, must complete COVID-19 tests five or six days prior to scheduled flight prior to participating in such missions. “They keep an eye on us even before the flight takes off and we are in quarantine for 14 days upon landing, at government-mandated centers,” he said.
Overall ‘grateful’ for being back home
All passengers agreed that although there were some inconveniences in communication from the Center or the respective embassies, they were “extremely grateful” for having returned home. “Air India staff did their best and we are grateful that the Indian Embassy and the government undertake such a massive evacuation during these difficult times.”
Update date: 13 May 2020 16:40:56 IST
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