Over 176 Indian Nationals in Bahrain departed for Trivandrum via Calicut, Kerala yesterday. Air India Express flight (AIE) IX 1574 left from Bahrain with a total of 176 passengers and two infants on board. 

“Around 480 flights have brought back more than 90, 000 Indians from 52 countries since May 6, 2020. We have also flown out more than 24,000 people on outbound flights. With a decision to further ramp up operations we will be able to help more people” said Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. 

Albilad had previously reported that COVID-19 negative certificates have been made mandatory for all passenger repatriated to Kerala from the Middle East from June 20.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday urged Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to facilitate COVID-19 tests for stranded Indians getting repatriated through Indian mission from abroad. The move comes days after the state came under fire from expatriates and opposition parties for making the certificate mandatory.

In line with this, the Chief Minister during a video conference with the Prime Minister on Tuesday will discuss the matter. 

In addition to the flight's operations under the ‘Vande Bharat Mission’ (VBM) Government of India has approved the operation of chartered flights for the repatriation of the Indian nationals stranded abroad. Meanwhile, under Vande Bharat mission, four flights carrying nearly 700 stranded Indian nationals from Bahrain, Doha, Kaula Lumpur and Abu Dhabi will arrive in Kerala today.

SOURCE: ALBILAD