Maharashtra to expect more 209 additional  flights: CMO

Mumbai: The CMO stated 209 more flights are expected till October 31 under Vande Bharat mission. Maharashtra has so far received 1, 17,433 stranded Indians who returned to Mumbai by 1,045 repatriation flights amid the pandemic.

The Vande Bharat mission initiative started on May 7, while the state started receiving repatriation flights from May 10. Thereafter, the total passengers who landed here, 38,602 were from Mumbai, 37,201 from the rest of Maharashtra and 41,630 from other states.

The Government of Maharashtra is carrying out the Vande Bharat Mission in coordination with the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation, Ministry of External Affairs and Union Ministry of Home Affairs. 1 lakh 17 thousand 433 passengers were brought back to Mumbai through 1045 flights that were stranded in other countries, said report. The citizens were stuck in over 50 foreign countries, including those in Europe, America, Gulf region and Asia have been brought back.

All the passengers have to compulsorily remain in institutional quarantine, either in Mumbai or in their respective district centers due to coronavirus pandemic followed by social distancing norms. Citizens from other states are accommodated in Mumbai until their travel passes and other necessary documentation is completed.

Vande Bharat Mission has entered its fifth phase since August and will continue to bring more people back to home country. The fourth phase of the Vande Bharat Mission brought back as much as 2.5 lakh Indians from 53 countries around the world. Under the Phase 4 of the Vande Bharat mission, a total of 1,197 flights have been scheduled so far, including 945 international flights and 252 feeder flights. Under the Centre’s ‘Vande Bharat Mission’, more than 15 lakh people have returned through various modes including more than 4.5 lakh on flights.