IndiGo to operate 97 repatriation flights between Kerala & 4 Middle Eastern nations

IndiGo on Thursday said it would be operating 97 repatriation flights between Kerala and four countries in the Middle East to bring back Indians stranded there amid the coronavirus pandemic. "Adhering to all precautionary measures, the flights will be operated between Kerala and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Doha, Kuwait and Muscat," the airline said in a press release.

IndiGo has been granted nearly half of the total 180 repatriation flights allotted to private airlines, the budget carrier said. India has been under lockdown since March 25. All scheduled commercial passenger flights have been suspended since then. Earlier this week, the Modi government announced it would restart domestic commercial passenger flights in a calibrated manner from May 25.

Ronojoy Dutta, Chief Executive Officer, IndiGo, said: "We are grateful for the approval to operate flights to four countries to bring back our fellow citizens, who are either stranded due to suspension of operations or have registered to fly back owing to the economic landscape."