British Airways announced on Tuesday that they are repatriating thousands of UK nationals who have been stranded in India since the lockdown. The carrier has launched 65 rescue flights in coordination with the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO).
Today, British Airways announced that they have begun repatriating thousands of UK nationals from India who have been stranded since the country implemented a national lockdown. The ongoing repatriation efforts include 65 rescue flights that have already operated or will continue to operate in the coming days to bring UK nationals home. The effort is a collaboration between British Airways and travel operators, cruise companies and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). The carrier continues to operate cargo flights to the UK through IAG Cargo carrying tons of essential supplies, medicines and personal protective equipment (PPE). British Airways is serving 11 airports in India including Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Goa, Amritsar, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram. In Tuesday’s announcement, British Airways’ Chairman and CEO, Alex Cruz said,
“It is an honour to support the government’s repatriation efforts and keep a small fleet of aircraft flying to bring stranded Britons back to the UK. When families step foot onboard our aircraft and tell us how emotional it feels to be coming home, it reminds us why the job we are doing is still so important. We are hugely proud of our colleagues who continue to work with such dedication and commitment through this crisis to fly people and essential supplies across the world.”
Also commenting on today’s announcement, the Foreign Office’s Minister of State for South Asia and the Commonwealth, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon added,
“We know this is a difficult time for British travellers in India and we are pleased to have partnered with airlines, including British Airways, to get them home. 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.”
Source: British Airways