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Around 14,000 Indian nationals will be repatriated from the UAE through 81 special flights announced as part of the second phase of the Vande Bharat Mission.
More than 5,000 Indians were flown out from Abu Dhabi and Dubai airports so far since the evacuation started on May 7.
For the UAE, the second phase of special flights will commence from May 26 and operate till June 8.
According to the schedule on the website of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, there are 56 flights to Kerala, and the rest are services to New Delhi, Punjab, Chandigarh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Goa, West Bengal, Karnataka, Telangana and Tamil Nadu.
In the past few days, there has been a high demand for flights to Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Goa and West Bengal. There can still be changes to the schedule, authorities said.
Nearly 4,500 Indians in distress were able to go home from Dubai as part of the mission, revealed Consul-General of India to Dubai Vipul.
"This week alone, a total of 14 flights have been sent from Dubai to India," the consul-general announced.
More flights are expected in the coming weeks, Vipul said. "We have already got a fairly expanded schedule of flights from Dubai to India. I think we will be able to service many more people who want to return home."
Along with the 4,500 repatriations from the emirate, a total of 26 mortal remains were also flown on these special flights.
"The consulate is working hard to ensure all needs of Indian nationals stranded here are met," the envoy added.
Last Friday, the first-ever repatriation flight took off to Srinagar carrying 152 passengers on board. "We are happy that we were able to reunite families during Eid," tweeted the consulate. According to the health protocols, all arriving passengers will be undergoing a health check-up. Those with symptoms will be taken to Covid-19 hospitals and the remaining would be sent to home quarantine.
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