Air India to Operate Repatriation Flights from Canada

Air India under the ambitious “Vande Bharat” repatriation mission of the Government of India will operate multiple flights to carry Indians back home. Since the lockdown started on March 22, there are many Indians stranded in Canada who desperately want to return to India but weren’t able to because of the lockdown and the absence of air connectivity.

India’s High Commissioner to Canada Ajay Bisaria had earlier informed that over 5,000 people had registered on the mission’s website requesting for the flights to India. Amongst the stranded, there are many students who are eager to return to their homes as most of their institutes are now closed due to pandemic crisis.

In the second phase of “Vande Bharat” mission starting 20^th May, there will be five flights from Canada: two from Vancouver and three from Toronto and are expected to fly over 1400 Indians back home. Each ticket on this special flight will cost nearly Rs 1.25 lakh. The flights will further connect the travellers to a number of domestic destinations in India like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Amritsar and Jaipur.

Canada’s High Commission in India has also informed its citizens in India that they can also buy tickets on these commercial flights to return to Canada, as Air India is accepting reservations for the outward destination. These flights are in addition to the special repatriation flights being coordinated by Canada’s High Commission in India for the stranded Canadians in India. They had already operated 30 flights from various cities in India to Canada since the lockdown.