Air India to start charter flights for stranded foreigners

India will bring back its nationals stranded abroad on a case by case basis after   removal of the nationwide lockdown, according to Minister for Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri. He added that both the health ministry and the ministry of home affairs need to be consulted before flying back the Indians from foreign countries.

"The current lockdown on both domestic and international passenger flights is till April 15. A decision on restarting the flights after this period remains to be taken. We will have to assess the situation on a case by case basis," Puri said. He further said that many countries are approaching his ministry with a request to allow them to take back their citizen stuck in India. 

Meanwhile, the national carrier Air India has been hired by four European countries to take back their nationals stuck in various parts of India.

According to Air India CMD Rajiv Bansal, the airline has entered into an agreement with France, Canada, Germany and Ireland to ferry their citizens back home. For this, Air India will operate 18 charter flights on commercial terms.

"Air India will operate 18 flights for citizens of Germany, Canada, France and Ireland stranded in India, on request of the embassies concerned. The airline has entered into commercial contracts with these countries to run charter flights for their citizens," Bansal said, adding that after ferrying the passengers, the aircraft will return without any passengers onboard.

Air India will operate ten flights to Germany, six to Canada and one each to France and Ireland.

Bansal also said that an approval has been accorded to operate a cargo flight from Delhi to Hong Kong on April 4 and 5 to bring medical equipment (especially PPE). However, permission is yet to be given for cargo movement to Shanghai, scheduled to happen on April 6.

The Air India CMD made it clear that airline is providing all essentials like sanitisers, gloves, personal protective equipment to the cockpit crew, cabin crew and the ground staff. "Our cabin crew has been advised to quarantine themselves after flights," he added.