US citizens, permanent residents, OCI card holders eligible to fly.
As India launched a massive exercise to bring back its stranded citizens from a dozen nations, foreigners stuck in India were advised to take advantage of flights to ferry them home.
India’s national carrier Air India has opened bookings on the special ferry flights for Americans, US permanent residents, Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) and citizens of 11 other nations.
Starting with a Delhi-Singapore flight Thursday, Air India and its subsidiary Air India Express will operate 64 ferry flights from May 7 to 15 to bring back 14,800 stranded Indians as part of its ‘Vande Bharat Mission.’
Air India will send seven flights to the US starting with a Delhi-San Francisco flight on Friday. There will be one more flight from Delhi to San Francisco, two to Chicago and one each to Newark and Washington. There will be a lone Mumbai-Newark flight on May 9.
READ: Covid-19: Stranded Americans in India reluctant to return (April 29, 2020)
In addition to the US, there will be ten flights to the UAE, seven to the UK, five each to Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Kuwait and Philippines, two flights each to Qatar, Oman and Bahrain and one each to Malaysia, Bangladesh.
US embassy in India which has currently given a pause to its own repatriation flights to the US Thursday advised US persons to take advantage of the Air India flights to return home.
“We advise US persons interested in returning to the US that Air India has announced a series of commercially operated evacuation flights departing from India to international destinations, including the US, to evacuate stranded Indian citizens,†it said in a travel advisory.
READ: First Air India evacuation flight from US to leave San Francisco on May 9 (May 7, 2020)
“We understand that US persons are eligible to travel on these flights,†the embassy said asking intending travelers to contact Air India directly regarding the flights.
The embassy hopes its own repatriation flights “will commence next week and will again depart from Mumbai and New Delhi to Atlanta and San Francisco.â€
The embassy which has so far repatriated 5,500 travelers from across India to the US had given a pause in “order to assess ongoing demand and determine what degree of assistance may be needed as the authorities lift lock-down restrictions.â€
RELATED: Covid-19: 6,000 Americans waiting to be airlifted from India (April 24, 2020)
Air India has made it clear that the entire cost of travel will be borne by the passengers.
The airline said it would only allow nationals from 12 countries, including the US, Indian nationals with at least a one-year long visa for these destinations, Green Card and OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) cardholders and Health workers with a valid permit for travel to destination countries to book flights.
The airline has also specified that passengers must ensure that they comply with all travel and health requirements of the country of destination.
Additionally, at the time of boarding the flight, they will have to undergo thermal screening as per health protocol and only asymptomatic travelers would be allowed to board the flights.
Here is the Air India Evacuation Schedule – Ex India (in local time)
| Date | Flight No | Origin | Departure | Destination | Arrival | Subfleet | 1st/Biz/Eco |
| May 08 | AI 173 | DELHI | 3:30 | SAN FRANCISCO | 7:00 | 777LR | 3/31/186 |
| May 09 | AI 191 | MUMBAI | 1:30 | NEWARK | 7:55 | 777ER | 4/21/294 |
| May 10 | AI 0127 | DELHI | 2:20 | CHICAGO | 7:25 | 777ER | 4/21/294 |
| May 11 | AI 103 | DELHI | 1:15 | WASHINGTON | 7:15 | B787 | 0/14/229 |
| May 12 | AI 173 | DELHI | 3:30 | SAN FRANCISCO | 7:00 | 777LR | 3/31/186 |
| May 13 | AI 191 | DELHI | 1:45 | NEWARK | 7:35 | 777ER | 4/21/294 |
| May 14 | AI 0127 | DELHI | 2:20 | CHICAGO | 7:25 | 777ER | 4/21/294 |
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5 Comments
My father who is US citizen and stuck in India. How can he come back to USA, Can anyone please help?
We are US citizens with OCI were living in Pune, India, after our retirement presently in Texas. How can we return to Pune?
What will happen after May 14
I am Indian passport holder and got J 1 exchange visitor visa as alien physician to start my residency training in a hospital in Washington. How can i fly and reach Washington?
I am one of the many US citizens stranded in India. Although Air India has been given the green light to allow US Citizens to board flight back to the US. Mot everyone is able to take advantage of this. As stated about only flights from Mumbai and Delhi… I for example am located in Chennai Tamil Nadu. There is no domestic flights allowing us to board to Delhi or Mumbai so like many we are unable to take advantage of this.