42 passengers land in Bengaluru by second evacuation flight

Forty-two Indians arrived at the Kempegowda International Airport by an Air India flight from Singapore on Tuesday, the second evacuation plane to land in the city. Over 320 passengers had reached the city from London in the first flight early Monday morning.

After arriving by the Vande Bharat Mission aircraft at 9 pm, the passengers underwent preliminary tests for body temperature, blood oxygen saturation and heart rate. Asymptomatic travellers were sent to hotels and resorts across the city for a 14-day quarantine on BMTC buses specially arranged for them.

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The flight later took off again with the remaining 138 passengers, including three infants, to Kochi in Kerala. Another Vande Bharat Mission flight from Dubai (Air India Express flight IX-384) with 177 passengers and two infants arrived later at the Mangaluru airport.

The second phase of the Vande Bharat Mission is scheduled to be launched from May 16 to 22. The flights will bring back Indians stranded in 31 countries. In all, 149 flights, including feeder aircraft, are proposed to be deployed for the operation.