Vande Bharat Mission: Ministry of External Affairs says over 1.65 lakh people repatriated

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava on Thursday, 11 June stated that the Vande Bharat Mission has repatriated a total of 1,65,375 people back to India thus far. Srivastava added that 29,034 migrant workers were also returned. 

Read: AI Opens Bookings For Phase-3 Flights Under Vande Bharat Mission, Faces Overwhelming Demand

Phase-3 adding more flights

During an online press briefing, Anurag Srivastava said "Apart from Air India flights, repatriation has also been arranged through other streams like Indian naval vessels which have brought back our nationals from Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Iran through foreign carriers coming to India to pick up nationals from other countries, through chartered flights and from land borders. As part of the Vande Bharat Mission, the INS Shardul has returned to Gujarat from Iran carrying 233 stranded Indian nationals.”

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson also added that under Phase-3 of the Vande Bharat Mission 432 international flights from 43 countries will be reaching 17 states and Union Territories. Srivastava also added that Phase-3 would see 29 flights from private carriers, 24 IndiGo flights from GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries and from Malaysia, 3 GoAir flights from GCC countries and two Vistara flights from Singapore.

Read: Vande Bharat Mission Tickets Reasonable As Compared To Other Countries: Aviation Minister

As per reports, the third phase of Vande Bharat Mission had widened the scope of the mission and there were more countries, thereby increasing the number of entry points.

India has added 58 more flights to evacuate stranded and distressed nationals from Gulf countries between now and June 30, Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Wednesday. He informed that staring immediately, the number of flights from Gulf under phase-3 of the 'Vande Bharat Mission' has now increased from originally planned 107 to 165.

The minister further said that Phase 3 of Vande Bharat Mission will have 80 flights to Europe, including two daily flights to London and two to other European destinations, between now and 30 June. Moreover, 10 additional flights to the United States and Canada will be flown apart from 70 that have already been announced.

State-run carrier Air India had previously announced that it will operate around 300 flights to Europe, Australia, Canada, the USA, the UK and Africa between June 10 and July 1 during phase 3 of Vande Bharat Mission.

Read: Vande Bharat Mission: Air India To Open Booking For These Seven Places In US; Details Here

Read: Vande Bharat Mission: 58 More Flights Added To Repatriate Indians Stranded In Gulf

(Inputs/Image credits ANI)