New Delhi (NVI): Over 67.5 million people were brought back from abroad under Vande Bharat mission, India’s massive evacuation programme triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic, Union Minister for Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri said today.
In a tweet, Puri said that 67.5 million people have been brought back and the numbers continue to grow. “It is not just a mission that brought back stranded & distressed citizens from around the world, but Vande Bharat has been a Mission of hope & happiness; of letting people know that they will not be left behind even in the most testing times,” he tweeted.
We transported medical & essential cargo during lockdown.
We facilitated seamless transportation of vaccines.
Since 25 May 2020 we have operated calibrated domestic flights.
On 20 March we carried
2,64,328 passengers on 2295 flights.
Continuing to fly towards Pre-COVID numbers. pic.twitter.com/rANW1VRlNP— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) March 21, 2021
India had commenced one of the world’s largest evacuation operations from May 7, 2020 to bring back its stranded citizens from abroad, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a statement.
Initially, Air India and its subsidiary Air India express played a key role in the operations. Afterwards, other air carriers were allowed to take part in the programme, it said.
Besides, aerial evacuation, even naval ships were used to bring back Indian citizens, the statement added.
-ARK
