Rs 1 lakh air ticket is not an option for many stranded | India News

MUMBAI: Even as the Indian government prepares the second phase of its Air India repatriation flights, called the Vande Bharat Mission, for the dozens of Indian citizens stranded abroad, the opportunity means nothing, as they cannot afford the Rs 1 lakh or more to fly home and stay in hotel quarantine for 14 days.
“For many of the 6,000-8,000 Indian students in the UK, the high costs of travel and quarantine have made it difficult for them to return to India; many have lost their part-time jobs, “he said Sanam Arora, President of NISAU, an umbrella organization for Indian students in the UK.

In March, the government had allowed returnees to quarantine at home, but the plan had failed. For the current lot, according to the hotel, it costs Rs 4,000 to Rs 7,000 per day for the quarantine stay and three meals, increasing the cost of return by Rs 50,000 or more. Furthermore, the economy class one-way airfare on an AI repatriation flight costs around Rs 55,000 for a flight from London, about Rs 1 lakh for a flight from San Francisco and Rs 35,000 from Dubai.
Sydney-based Pricebeat Travel Amit Sharma, who had handled ticketing for the Delhi-Sydney Singapore Airlines repatriation flight, said: ticket prices are slightly higher … as they fly empty one way, so passengers pay a round trip ticket. Only a single sector is used while other sectors remain empty. In addition, tickets are offered at a price on repatriation flights … ”
But that is of little comfort to passengers who had already paid for return tickets. Samarth PV, who flew to Abu Dhabi in January on a three-month visiting visa to look for work, said: “I paid for my return ticket on April 7 to Bangalore on IndiGo, but the flight was canceled due to closure. I have no money to pay for another flight and quarantine charges. I live in a shared space and I still pay the rent for the month. I can only pay for one meal a day. I went to the Indian Embassy and to my surprise, it was closed and a security staff stationed outside answered questions from the stranded Indians. ”
Then there are those who are grateful for the repatriation flights. Eighteen years Rahul SondiStudying in London, he boarded the AI ​​flight to Mumbai, the day he was evicted by its owner. “I was eating in a community kitchen when my parents bought me the IA ticket back home,” he said. “Every week, many Indian students are being evicted from their homes. It’s unfortunate, most can’t afford to fly home because of the high costs. ”