Ukraine conflict: Air India’s special flight lands in Romania to evacuate stranded Indians
Government is expected to operate more such flights to neighbouring countries of Ukraine
New Delhi: A special flight of Air India AI-1943 landed at Bucharest in Romania for the evacuation of stranded Indians in Ukraine on Saturday morning.
This is the first special flight that is travelling through another route after the air route to Ukraine was shut down.
The 787 Dreamliner has the capacity to carry 250 passengers and it is expected that at least as many will be brought back to India.
The government is expected to operate such flights to neighbouring countries of Ukraine in order to evacuate stranded Indians in the country.
‘No need to panic’
Meanwhile, Federal Minister Jitendra Singh said that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is constantly working out necessary arrangements to bring back Indian students.
Speaking to ANI, the minister said: “Receiving calls from across the country, especially from Jammu and Kashmir from parents of students currently in Ukraine. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is constantly working out necessary arrangements.
Free travel for Keralaites from Delhi
The Kerala representative based in Delhi — Venu Rajamony — a former diplomat has announced that all those Keralites arriving from Ukraine would be given free travel facilities from Delhi to Kerala.
Rajamony has also announced they will be making arrangements for Kerala students to stay on their arrival in Delhi till they are put on a connecting flight to Kerala.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said there are 2,320 Kerala students in Ukraine and are waiting to return.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs there are two flights which are arriving from Bucharest.
First batch of evacuees reaching Mumbai today
An Air India flight carrying evacuees from the war-hit Ukraine is expected to land here later in the day, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) in Mumbai, officials said.
The CSMIA has geared itself to handle the evacuees reaching here by AI-1944 with a special corridor and all necessary facilities.
As per Centre’s guidelines, all the students shall undergo a mandatory temperature check and will be required to produce a Covid-19 vaccination certification or a negative RT-PCR report on landing.
If they are unable to show these documents, they will be made to undergo a RT-PCR test, at the airport, free of cost, and permitted to leave only if they test negative.
For those testing positive, they shall be clinically managed as per the government protocols including quarantine or treatment.
The CSMIA has also fenced a special area at the airport for them to sit, giving them free WiFi access, food, water and medical assistance if required.
An estimated 1,200 students from Maharashtra, besides some who had gone for business or tourism purposes, are stranded in Ukraine, as their concerned families await their news.
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has directed the state officials to coordinate with the Centre for the evacuation process and extend all possible help to the evacuees.
Congress President Nana Patole and Maharashtra Minister Vijay Wadettiwar said the state government has managed to contact over 350 of the stranded persons from Maharashtra.
Minister Uday Samant wrote to the Centre three days ago seeking urgent assistance for evacuating the stranded people including those from Maharashtra.
Over two dozen students are from Mumbai, plus others from Thane, Palghar, Ratnagiri, Nagpur, Pune, Aurangabad, Sindhudurg, Kolhapur and different districts or cities.