New Delhi (NVI): The United Kingdom today announced that it will fly out over 4,000 more citizens stranded in India by 17 additional charter flights that have opened for bookings today.
The UK government had earlier announced 7 charter flights on April 5 and 12 additional flights on April 10.
The 17 additional flights will airlift British nationals from Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Delhi, Goa and Mumbai, the British High Commission said in a statement here.
The additional flights will depart for London from Ahmedabad on April 20, 22, 24, 26, from Amritsar on April 21, 23, 25, 27, from Bangalore (via Ahmedabad) on April 23, from Delhi on April 21, 23, 25, 27, from Goa on April 20, 22, 24 and from Mumbai on April 26.
Tariq Ahmad, British Foreign Office Minister of State said, “We know this is a difficult time for British travellers and there is great demand for these flights. This is a huge and logistically-complex operation, and we are working tirelessly with the Indian Government and state authorities to help more British travellers get home.”
Acting British High Commissioner to India, Jan Thompson also said in a statement, “There will be 17 more charter flights next week to take British travellers back to the UK – on top of the 21 flights announced previously. We are working around the clock to arrange additional flights from locations where we know large numbers are still stranded and are extremely grateful for the support we are receiving from the Government of India and local authorities.”
This will take the total number of British nationals brought back on these flights to a total of 9,000.
Those who are most vulnerable will be prioritised for seats on these flights the Foreign Office said, adding this will bring the total number of chartered flights run by the UK Government from India to 38.
