Indian citizens, US permanent residents, OIC card holders eligible to take U.S. bound Air India flights.
India plans to operate 149 more flights, including seven to the U.S., to bring back Indians stranded abroad due to coronavirus pandemic in the second phase of the ‘Vande Bharat Mission’ from Sunday.
In the first phase of India’s biggest ever evacuation exercise, which began on May 7, over 12,000 Indian citizens have been brought back from 12 countries on 56 flights, according to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs.
In the second phase of the mission, India’s national carrier Air India will bring back Indians from 31 countries. Till now, 188,646 Indian nationals have registered to return.
RELATED: American Bazaar’s Covid-19 coverage
Additional 18 countries to be covered under the second phase include Indonesia, Thailand, Australia, Italy, France, Germany, Ireland, Canada, Japan, Nigeria, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Krgyzstan, Belarus, Georgia, Tajikistan and Armenia.
As before, Indian citizens, U.S. permanent residents, Overseas Citizen of India (OIC) card holders and other US persons are eligible to fly out on flights to pick up Indian citizens abroad.
There will be two flights each to San Francisco, New York and Chicago and one to Washington. There is no restriction for Indian Passport holders who are holding valid visas for US, according to Air India.
However, passengers who have transited or have been in certain countries in the past 14 days are not allowed to enter the United States.
RELATED: First Air India evacuation flight from US to leave San Francisco on May 9
Indian citizens seeking to travel on outbound Air India flights to the US, on the basis of their F1 visas, for higher studies may not be able to go the U.S. on the current Air India repatriation flights under Mission Vande Bharat if their F or M category visa has less than 6 months validity from the date of planned departure, it said.
In new admission cases, students who have not as yet joined their educational institution before the covid-19 outbreak too would not be allowed
Air India advised newly admitted students for the 2020 fall term in U.S. educational institutions to consider deferring travel to the U.S. to a date closer to the opening date of their institution, subject to local public health conditions.
RELATED: Seven flights to airlift Indians from US in massive evacuation drive (May 5, 2020)
In the case of continuing students, who are making normal progress in their course of study, and may have left the U.S. to visit India before India’s Lockdown commenced, must check with their Designated School Officials to confirm the school’s operational status, it said.
Alternatively, they may obtain guidance on the School’s policy for foreign students returning to the U.S.
In such cases, students may only attempt to travel to the U.S. with written documentary confirmation that the School is open.
Without such documentation, even if continuing students have valid F or M visas, they may not be permitted to board an outbound flight, Air India said.
This is necessary, the airline said, as some schools may not currently allow returning students to return to campus for an extended period of time.
Here is the Air India Evacuation flights schedule (in local time):
FLIGHTS FROM INDIA
DATEÂ Â | FLIGHT | FROM | TO | DEPATURE TIME |
18-May | AI 0173 | DELHI | SAN FRANCISCO | 3:30 |
19-May | AI 0101 | DELHI | NEW YORK | 5:10 |
22-May | AI 0173 | DELHI | SAN FRANCISCO | 3:30 |
23-May | AI 0101 | DELHI | NEW YORK | 5:10 |
27-May | AI 0103 | DELHI | WASHINGTON | 1:30 |
27-May | AI 0127 | DELHI | CHICAGO | 2:20 |
28-May | AI 0127 | DELHI | CHICAGO | 2:20 |
FLIGHTS FROM THE U.S.
DATE | FLIGHT | FROM | TO | ARRIVAL TIME |
21-May | AI 0174 | SAN FRANCISCO | DELHI | 3:30 |
22-May | AI 0102 | NEW YORK | DELHI | 10:30 |
25-May | AI 0174 | SAN FRANCISCO | DELHI | 3:30 |
26-May | AI 0102 | NEW YORK | DELHI | 10:30 |
29-May | AI 0104 | WASHINGTON | DELHI | 23:00 |
29-May | AI 0126 | CHICAGO | DELHI | 0:30 |
31-May | AI 0126 | CHICAGO | DELHI | 0:30 |
11 Comments
I jagdish chandra sharma year78 years old with my wife 74 years came to visit my son,s family and was to go back in April 25 but stuck here my son lives in suburbs of Atlanta I am sick person and and having accute problem in urinatation under treatment of Dr at Delhi .Need help for flight for Delhi on priority one procedure/operation is to be done which is due now.Registered our name in indian us embassy quite one month back.but all in vain several request done to embassy still keen to listen call from them.Need help
I have been trying for the past one month. But when you call customer service after so much wait time or chat… they say booking not started. You call after few days they say booking is done and no more seats are available. No one know when they open for booking and how they book. It sounds like gambling…
Hi, My H1B visa extension got denied and I lost my job. Please help me to provide information about evacuation.
I am sarbjit i stuck in India i am from California I try to book flight today for Chicago site says network not respond try to call airlines pick up phone and disconnected try to chat after 2:45 minutes go through and they said no more seat please let me know what we do
My husband and I are in SFO waiting to go back to Nashik .We are registered with the embassy .Kindly update on flights from SFO
My Daughter is studying in the US and is stuck after her semester is over, she has registered opting for the evacuation flights returning to India almost 2 weeks back but not even got an acknowledgement or a confirmation number from the embassy yet. What is a plan to bring back the students from USA?
When will next flight go usa my uncle is usa passport holder he is stuck in india. He want to go back.
I need flight from Delhi to SanFrancisco as soon as possible if you can send me messages when next flight thanks
Hi my name is Satnam Sidhu I’m stuck in India so I have to go my home in New York City I need flight as soon as possible deli to JFK’thanks
Hi I came to visit my daughter and son-in-law in sanfranscico.my husband and me waiting for air india evacuation to india. Delhi. Because I left my second in my relative house and also I should report for my duties in Bangalore. Please do needful.
I’m stuck in India so I live in New York City I’m Citian I want to go back my home as soon as possible please help me thanks