Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (AM)
With inputs from IANS
Mangaluru, May 12: National carrier Air India's first special flight to Mangaluru from Dubai landed at Mangaluru International Airport with 177 passengers on Tuesday, May 12 at 10.04 pm.
As many as 177 passengers - 88 male, 84 female, five children and two infants in all which included 38 pregnant women and 12 medical emergency cases, landed at the airport. All were stranded in the UAE due to the coronavirus induced extended lockdown since March 25 and suspension of overseas flights since March 23.
Money transfer, SIM distribution, ration kit distribution and food arrangement was done for the passengers at the airport.
"The Air India Express IX 384 Boeing 737-8HG landed safely at the Bajpe airport on the outskirts of Mangaluru at 10.04 pm, with 177 passengers from Dubai. All the passengers were given santizer to wash hands and told to wear the mask all the time and keep physical distancing as per the protocols," said an official.
As per the standard operating procedure to be observed by all foreign returnees, the passengers were screened and tested to ensure they were asymptomatic and free from the Covid-19 virus.
After completing the formalities, including immigration check and filling the self-declaration form, the returnees were taken in state-run buses in batches for 14-day institutional quarantine in hotels and other places in the coastal city. Over 17 hotels and 12 hostels are offering their rooms to returnees, with boarding and facilities in compliance with the state health department's guidelines and protocols.
Passengers were told to download the mandatory Quarantine app, the Aroygya Sethu app and Apthamitra app before leaving the airport for contact tracing later.
"Another A-I Express flight is due to land in Mangaluru from Doha in Qatar in a day or two with about 180 foreign returnees," the official added.
IAS officer Rahul Shinde, district health officer Dr Ramachandra Bayari, airport director V V Rao and others were present.
As part of the Indian government's evacuation programme 'Vande Bharat Mission’, flights from India are bringing back stranded Indians from different parts of the world in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.