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Second flight carrying Indian expats takes off

WhatsApp Image 2020-05-12 at 1.01.47 PM
WhatsApp Image 2020-05-12 at 1.01.47 PM
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Muscat: Second flight from the Sultanate to India carrying 183 passengers, including three infants, flew from the Muscat International Airport on Tuesday. They boarded an Air India Express commercial service instituted to aid the Indian nationals who wanted to get home on emergency grounds.


The IX 350, carrying people who need immediate medical attention back home, those whose visa validity was crossed, pregnant women and elderly who were on a visit to their dear and near one's, were flown back to India at 4.15pm reaching Chennai at 9.15pm.


This is the second time an Indian commercial flight is taking its citizens back home, the first one being IX442 that flew to Kochi with 181 onboard on May 9. It had four infants, 48 pregnant women and elderly, and 77 others who required medical care for various conditions.


"We are working out on adding more services to help our citizens who are stranded on compelling grounds to get home immediately. The details of which will be intimated later," Munu Mahawer, the Ambassador of India to the Sultanate of Oman said.


"We are immensely thankful to the Oman authorities, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Royal Oman Police (ROP), the Oman Airports Authority, the Muscat Airports, and all those who made the repatriation of these people possible on compelling grounds," Mahawer said.


"I am going to see my ailing father who is on his death bed with none to look after. My mom passed away years ago and my wife is a nurse who is currently quarantined after a month's service in a government hospital," Jagan an employee of BEC told the Observer.


"We will be selecting people from those who have already registered with the Embassy. Priority will be given to persons requiring to travel for urgent, compelling reasons", Mahawer added.


According to diplomatic sources, nearly 15,000 Indian nationals will be brought back from across the world to the country in 64 flights in the first week of the repatriation process. Out of 64 flights, 25 will be dedicated to bring back expat Indians in the gulf where nearly 300, 000 people have registered for repatriation.


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