On Monday morning, Air India’s first evacuation to Karnataka took off from London and landed in Bengaluru. The flight contained 326 passengers. All of them are the citizens of the state of Karnataka.
The state government confirmed the news. The A-I Boeing-777-337 (ER) that traveled from London landed at the Kempegowda International Airport at 4.41 am. The 326 passengers included 3 infants. The arrival of the flight was delayed by 101 minutes. It flew via New Delhi where it took off at 2.23 am.
As the flight landed, the passengers were seen coming out of the aircraft through the aero-bridge. All the passengers wore masks and maintained significant social distancing. The passengers were screened at the exit gates. They were also tested. A self-declaration form about their travel history, health condition, and details of primary and secondary contact was taken. They were let to exit the airport after the completion of these protocols. All of them will be held in quarantine for 14 days.
By 5.30 am, an hour after the landing, the passengers were taken to hotels in buses for placing them in the 14-day mandatory quarantine. The Deccan Herald reported that BMTC buses were arranged to take the passengers to the quarantine specific hotels. It was also reported that the pathway was repeatedly disinfected.
The State Medical Education Minister and doctor by profession K Sudhakar were present at the airport to receive the passengers. He took them through the protocols and explained the further formalities that are in place for their safety. Accompanying the minister were health workers and police.
More Flights in the coming days
The evacuation is a part of the central government’s mega evacuation program – Vande Bharat Mission. Under the mission, there are three more flights to be landed in the city of Bengaluru. The three flights are scheduled to arrive from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, San Fransisco in the United States and from Singapore. All three flights are scheduled to arrive on the 13th of May carrying 600 residents of Karnataka. Apart from this, two other flights are supposed to land at Mangaluru airport on the same day. The flight will fly from the Gulf region carrying 350-400 residents of the state.
Source: The News Minute
