The special flight services by Air India to help bring back Indians stranded abroad in the US or UK will begin from May 7 and will cost Rs 1 lakh and 50,000 respectively.
Meanwhile the fare for Singapore to Delhi/Mumbai and Singapore to Bengaluru will be Rs 20,000 and 18,000 respectively.
Aviation minister HS Puri on Tuesday said that the fares are fairly lower than the cost of operating these special flight services.
He also added that Indians who are green card holders, stuck in India due to suspension of lights can also opt in to fly out via these special flight services by paying for it.
"People like them who are willing to pay can fly out on these flights," he said.
According to Prasar Bharati News Service, 14,800 Indians to be brought back via 64 flights in the 1st week: May 7 to 13.
While the Centre had informed that all the stranded Indians will be brought back without conducting COVID-19 tests on them, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan has himself taken the matter with the Centre to ensure that the testing will be conducted in order to avoid the potential threat of COVID-19.
"64 flights will be operated in the 1st week of operation to bring stranded Indians from different countries from May 7 to May 13. The 64 flights include-UAE- 10 flights, Qatar- 2, Saudi Arabia- 5, UK- 7, Singapore- 5, United States-7, Philippines- 5, Bangladesh- 7, Bahrain - 2, Malaysia-7, Kuwait-5, and Oman-2," said Hardeep Singh Puri.
The first week will see the operation of flights in 12 countries:
UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, USA, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore.
In USA, the special flights will bring back Indians stranded in San Francisco, New York, Chicago and Washington to Kerala, Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Srinagar, Trichy, Amritsar and Lucknow.
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