The Indian Embassy in Doha has clarified that it will be adding six more flights to the already existing fleet of flights working in the Vande Bharat Mission from 18th June onwards. As per the list published on its official website, the additional six flights will connect Doha with two Indian states in addition to the already 21 flights functioning under the Vande Bharat Mission. The mission was launched to evacuate tourists or residents of India stuck in other parts of the world due to sudden lockdown imposed because of Coronavirus Pandemic.
As per a senior official from the Indian Embassy, the Indian government is planning to evacuate majority of its people who are stuck in Doha and are willing to go back home. Similar initiatives have also been taken in other countries as well where Indian citizens are stuck. It is being done to quickly shift people and not stretch the mission for long.
On its website, the Indian External Affairs Ministry has published the list of additional flights to Doha to various Indian cities as part of its repatriation efforts. Currently, the flights from Doha are servicing to Trivandrum, Bhubaneshwar, Kochi, Kozhikode, and Kannur while the flight to Bhubaneshwar from Doha would have a technical stoppage at Delhi.
The Embassy will finalize the list of passengers based on the registration received by it on its website. So far, around 40000 people have registered with the embassy to get back to India and therefore the increase in number of flights has been made.
Till 10th June, 21 flights have left Doha carrying Indians willing to go back to their hometown and as many as 3506 people in addition to 98 infants have been repatriated to India as per the Indian Embassy tweet.