MUSCAT: The flights schedule to repatriate hundreds of thousands of Indian nationals stranded abroad have been finalised.

As the first phase begins for one week from May 7-14, 60 commercial flights are set to bring back some 15,000 citizens from 12 countries.

Also Read: Evacuation list of Indians in Oman being finalised, says embassy

According to information received, the first flight from Oman to India will operate on Saturday, May 9, would take applicants from Muscat to Kerala. 250 Indians are expected to fly on this flight which will arrive in Kochi.The second flight from Oman will fly on May 12 to Chennai with 200 passengers.

Air India will operate 64 flights in the first phase of this operation.

Flight arrivals in India have been distributed across 10 states, with most of the air traffic going to the capital, Delhi, and the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. 

Pay to fly
Citizens hoping to be repatriated in the first phase would strictly be on a payment basis. The price of travel fare is unclear as of now. 

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs, medical screening of passengers would be done before taking the flight.

“On reaching the destination, everyone would have to register on the Arogya Setu app. Everyone would be medically screened. After scrutiny, they would be quarantined for 14 days, either in a hospital or in an institutional quarantine on payment-basis, by the concerned State government. COVID test would be done after 14 days and further action would be taken according to health protocol,” the statement explained.