Additional flights in the fourth phase of the Vande Bharat Mission will begin on Wednesday. Flights will repatriate Indian citizens from Bahrain between July 01-15. On Tuesday Indian Nationals departed for Mumbai from Bahrain International Airport. Air India Express flight (AIE) IX 1214 left from Bahrain with a total of 174 passengers and two infants on board.

A number of Indian expatriate associations in Bahrain are operating chartered flights to repatriate Indian nationals with genuine reasons for returning home. Bahrain Keraleeya Samajam (BKS), Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre (KMCC), Kozhikode Jilla Pravasi Forum - Bahrain (KPF), Indian Club, Indian Community Relief Fund (ICRF) and several other associations have been working at the forefront to repatriate thousands of Indians.
According to Express News Service, Air India has been assigned to operate 170 flights to and from 17 countries during the fourth phase between July 3 and 15. Besides, Air India Express will operate 300 flights in July (136 up to 14 July and 164 between July 15 and 31).

“VBM began on 6 May with 64 flights bringing back 12,800 Indians. Now, as we come to the last few days of 3rd Phase & prepare to dovetail into 4th, we have so far brought back more than 155,000 Indians and flown out more than 58,000” said Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.

Over 94 flights have been scheduled for Kerala. Addressing the media on Thursday, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said: “We are expecting 40-50 flights per day and elaborate arrangements are being made at all the airports to receive the expatriates who are coming back in large numbers”.

SOURCE: ALBILAD