The Vande Bharat Mission has become the largest repatriation mission in the world as India has successfully repatriated over 4 million (40 Lakh) people since early May.
India’s Civil Aviation Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri in a tweet said “Vande Bharat Mission has so far facilitated international travel of more than 40 lakh people & continue to reach out to more around the world despite some turbulence caused by the new strain of Corona Virus in some countries. We stay committed to help our citizens.“
The majority of returnees still coming from Middle East countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and other countries.
Air India has also expanded its flight schedule from the US and UK, including new routes from both countries.
However, there will be similar flight schedules in the coming months, with some disruptions due to the current flight ban in the UK.
Please Note: International Flights For the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman has suspended due to the spread of a new strain of coronavirus.
Vande Bharat Mission Phase 8+
Phase 8 Plus of this mission is currently operational since December 1. Under this phase, 1005 flights have been operated from 27 countries facilitating an estimated 1.8 lakh people.
Most of the countries on the list are covered by travel bubble agreements, with regular flights operating between them. All international Air India flights, regardless of destination or travel agreements, are also added to the list.
The current phase, which will last until December 31, includes flights to many East Asian countries, including Kuala Lumpur, Phenom Penh, Hong Kong, Yangon and Manila.
Australia will also see flights to Sydney, although these could be disrupted by the outbreak there. All of these cities do not currently have flights to India, so return flights are essential.
Also, Air India flew three routes to Tel Aviv and Rome this month and is slowly resuming some of its old routes. However, India has banned all scheduled international flights until 2021, which means these flights will remain “unscheduled”.
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