<p>An Air India aircraft departed from London for Bengaluru on Sunday with 323 Indian citizens, who were stranded in the United Kingdom due to the travel and transport curbs imposed to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>.<p>The Air India flight from London is the first one to arrive at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru after the Union Government launched the Vande Bharat Mission on May 7 to facilitate the repatriation of the citizens in foreign countries around the world.</p>.<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/coronavirus-live-news-updates-total-COVID-19-cases-deaths-India-lockdown-mumbai-bengaluru-delhi-ahmedabad-kolkata-maharashtra-karnataka-red-orange-zone-832551.html"><strong>For latest updates on coronavirus outbreak, click here</strong></a></p>.<p>“Air India's evacuation flight for Bengaluru takes off with 323 stranded Indians on board. Shubh Yatra,” the High Commission of India in London posted on Twitter at 4:43 p.m. (Indian Standard Time) on Sunday, along with a picture of the departing aircraft.</p>.<p>Apart from paying for travelling on the Air India aircraft, the returnees will also have to pay for accommodation at the facilities in Bengaluru where they would have to stay quarantined at least for the next 14 days.</p>.<p>While many Indians stranded across the UK are keen to return, the High Commission of India prioritized the ones, who had compelling reasons to return, like job loss, expiry of short-term visas, old age, medical emergency, pregnancy and death in the family.</p>.<p>Some of the stranded Indians, however, missed the flight from London to Bengaluru even after being short-listed by the High Commission for India in London for it. </p>.<p>“Dear @HCI_London, my wife and I were shortlisted but we could not come from Belfast to London due to the short notice. Are there more flights to Bangalore planned in the future? Can we still take those flights? Thanks,” Sriharsha posted on Twitter. He and his wife were at Belfast in Northern Ireland and could not travel to the Heathrow Airport in London on such a short notice as the UK itself too remained under lockdown.</p>.<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/coronavirus-india-update-state-wise-total-number-of-confirmed-cases-deaths-on-may-10-835724.html"><strong>Coronavirus India update: State-wise total number of confirmed cases, deaths on May 10</strong></a></p>.<p>The High Commission of India in London assured him that it would try to accommodate him and his wife in subsequent flights from the UK capital to Bengaluru.</p>.<p>“I have received a payment link yesterday evening for today's flight to Bengaluru. I am staying in the North part of Scotland, and it is impossible to travel so far in very short notice. Because of which I have missed flight,” Sunil Kumar Kotrashetti tweeted to the High Commission of India in London</p>
<p>An Air India aircraft departed from London for Bengaluru on Sunday with 323 Indian citizens, who were stranded in the United Kingdom due to the travel and transport curbs imposed to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.</p>.<p>The Air India flight from London is the first one to arrive at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru after the Union Government launched the Vande Bharat Mission on May 7 to facilitate the repatriation of the citizens in foreign countries around the world.</p>.<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/coronavirus-live-news-updates-total-COVID-19-cases-deaths-India-lockdown-mumbai-bengaluru-delhi-ahmedabad-kolkata-maharashtra-karnataka-red-orange-zone-832551.html"><strong>For latest updates on coronavirus outbreak, click here</strong></a></p>.<p>“Air India's evacuation flight for Bengaluru takes off with 323 stranded Indians on board. Shubh Yatra,” the High Commission of India in London posted on Twitter at 4:43 p.m. (Indian Standard Time) on Sunday, along with a picture of the departing aircraft.</p>.<p>Apart from paying for travelling on the Air India aircraft, the returnees will also have to pay for accommodation at the facilities in Bengaluru where they would have to stay quarantined at least for the next 14 days.</p>.<p>While many Indians stranded across the UK are keen to return, the High Commission of India prioritized the ones, who had compelling reasons to return, like job loss, expiry of short-term visas, old age, medical emergency, pregnancy and death in the family.</p>.<p>Some of the stranded Indians, however, missed the flight from London to Bengaluru even after being short-listed by the High Commission for India in London for it. </p>.<p>“Dear @HCI_London, my wife and I were shortlisted but we could not come from Belfast to London due to the short notice. Are there more flights to Bangalore planned in the future? Can we still take those flights? Thanks,” Sriharsha posted on Twitter. He and his wife were at Belfast in Northern Ireland and could not travel to the Heathrow Airport in London on such a short notice as the UK itself too remained under lockdown.</p>.<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/coronavirus-india-update-state-wise-total-number-of-confirmed-cases-deaths-on-may-10-835724.html"><strong>Coronavirus India update: State-wise total number of confirmed cases, deaths on May 10</strong></a></p>.<p>The High Commission of India in London assured him that it would try to accommodate him and his wife in subsequent flights from the UK capital to Bengaluru.</p>.<p>“I have received a payment link yesterday evening for today's flight to Bengaluru. I am staying in the North part of Scotland, and it is impossible to travel so far in very short notice. Because of which I have missed flight,” Sunil Kumar Kotrashetti tweeted to the High Commission of India in London</p>
