Video: First repatriation flights from the UAE to India take off

The first two repatriation flights to India left the UAE on Thursday from Abu Dhabi and Dubai with 354 passengers on board.

The flights, operated by Air India Express, headed to Kerala in India.

#VandeBharatMission begins!

The first flight with 177 passengers takes off from Abu Dhabi to Kochi#TeamIndia will continue with its tireless efforts to bring Indians home@PMOIndia @PIBHomeAffairs @MoCA_GoI @MoHFW_INDIA @IndembAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/9wemQEhY23

— Anurag Srivastava (@MEAIndia) May 7, 2020

Passengers on board were from a priority list including pregnant women, those with medical emergencies, tourists stuck in the UAE and Indian citizens who lost their jobs in the UAE.

Air India Express Flight left for Kozhikode with 177 passengers on boardwith last passenger Ajith was added to attend final rites of her mother after one passenger dropped out due to immigration issue. A big satisfaction to serve all. @MEAIndia @IndembAbuDhabi @MOS_MEA @MoCA_GoI pic.twitter.com/NS1N8hZiDG

— India in Dubai (@cgidubai) May 7, 2020

All of them went through Covid-19 testing at the airport before boarding the flights.

It's a great relief..till now all passengers found negative for rapid antibody test for Corona…process going smoothly… @MOS_MEA @MEAIndia @airnewsalerts @DDIndialive @PMOIndia @IndembAbuDhabi https://t.co/jjldUPBTMv

— India in Dubai (@cgidubai) May 7, 2020

Senior officials from the Indian embassy and consulate were on site to ensure that things went smoothly.

Process of repatriation to begin today with those who are most in need. Thanks people for their support and patience. Also thanks Indian and UAE authorities for facilitating the repatriation of distressed Indians – Ambassador Pavan Kapoor (@AmbKapoor)@IndembAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/pR5VLuqs2r

— DD News (@DDNewslive) May 7, 2020

As part of India’s repatriation programme, 10 special Air India flights will be operated in total from Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Dubai from May 7-13 to cities including Kochi, Kozhikode, Chennai, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Delhi and Amritsar.

Read: Revealed: Indian repatriation flight schedule from the UAE

They are part of 64 global repatriation flights being undertaken by the Indian government to bring back citizens stranded abroad.

All Indians arriving in the country from overseas will be medically screened and quarantined for 14 days, either in a hospital or in an institutional quarantine on a payment-basis by the concerned state government.

A Covid-19 screening test would be done after 14 days and further action would be taken accordingly.

They will also need to register on the Arogya Setu app.

Read: India to begin repatriation of stranded citizens, including from UAE, this week

The Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Indian Consulate in Dubai began the e-registration of citizens wishing to return home through the link cgidubai.gov.in/covid_register/. 

On May 4, in a press release, the Consulate General of India in Dubai said that nearly 200,000 people had registered on the portal to return home.