First 3 repatriation flights from London, Singapore and the Philippines to land in Mumbai on Sunday

Mumbai, May 9: The first three repatriation flights, including from London, Singapore and the Philippines, ferrying Indians stranded there will land at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on Sunday morning, officials said on Saturday. This will kick off the weeklong repatriation schedule of a total 16 flights, including six transit services, bringing in around 2,350 Indians from various countries such as the US, Malaysia and Bangladesh, besides the UK, Singapore and the Philippines. For this, the CSMIA has made full preparations right from the time they disembark the aircraft till they leave the terminal building. Two dedicated aerobridges will be deployed for them along with other infrastructure to screen the passengers before they enter the immigration area, where 30 counters have been set up for quick clearance. All passengers would be required to maintain a physical distance of 2 metres, wear face masks and gloves all through. The CSMIA is also making special arrangements for food and beverages for the passengers, disinfecting their baggage before loading on conveyor belts, providing sanitized trolleys and hand sanitizers at various touch points at the airport. Functioning with one-third staff with all personal protective equipment, all arriving passengers will be escorted by CISF personnel till they are handed over to the state authorities. The airport will also open a few foreign exchange and mobile SIM card outlets for the passengers to enable them to install the 'Aarogya Setu' app on their phones before proceeding to quarantine. In case any passenger is identified as symptomatic, he/she would be immediately isolated in a separate area and later shifted in special airport ambulances to the designated isolation centre. The BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said on Thursday that it has booked 3,343 rooms in 88 city hotels to accommodate the stranded Indians here. Around 1,900 Indians will be brought back to Mumbai, in seven special flights to and from various destinations worldwide, and the incoming passengers would be sent for compulsory 14-day quarantine. The flights to Mumbai will be arriving from Bangladesh, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, the United Kingdom and US, said BMC spokesperson Vijay Khabale-Patil. As a precaution, all the passengers would be sent to quarantine where they will undergo COVID-19 tests and if found positive, they will be admitted to hospitals for treatment. Among the hotels booked for them are 2, 3, 4 and 5 star categories, besides serviced apartments, and budget hotels, he said. On its part, the CSMIA has operated 51 outbound evacuation flights carrying 8,500 passengers between March 25 and May 9 to various global destinations, for foreign nationals stranded here during the ongoing lockdown. (IANS)