- Sunday, May 04, 2025
By: indiaweekly.biz Staff
REPATRIATION flights for UK nationals stranded in India will start next week.
The acting British High Commissioner in New Delhi, Jan Thompson, said: “Special charter flights from India to the UK organised by the British government will start next week. We are still in the process of finalising details with the Indian government and airlines.
“Next week is just the start. We will not be able to get everyone home immediately so please bear with us.”
A further update from Acting High Commissioner @JanThompsonFCO on getting you home:
“Special charter flights from India to the UK will start next week – more information will follow over the weekend”
Details will be published on our Travel Advice and here. pic.twitter.com/LJf8AsKpnh
— UK in India???? (@UKinIndia) April 3, 2020
Earlier this week, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab had announced a £75-million plan to bring back UK citizens stranded abroad. India operations had been a top priority.
The British envoy in Kathmandu, Nicola Pollitt, also confirmed repatriation operations from next week.
I promised to update you on flights to UK. Here’s the latest. We’re focused on securing an affordable charter flight for British tourists who want to go home. I hope that will come in by the end of next week. Still working hard to get it here as soon as possible. @UKinNepal
— NicolaPollitt (@NicolaPollittUK) April 3, 2020
The UK government had been pilloried for not organising evacuation flights, especially with reports noting that Germany had “rescued 30 times as many people as the UK since global travel restrictions started three weeks ago”.
As Pakistan tightened its travel curbs, stranded passengers complained of the limited commercial air tickets being sold at about £1,000 per seat.
“How are families with four up to 10 family members able to afford tickets that are being sold for £800+. These do not sound like repatriation flights,” said Tabassum Niamat of Glasgow, who set up a ‘Brits Stranded in Pakistan’ Facebook page that has over 1,000 members.
@CTurnerFCO @Official_PIA How are families with 4 upto 10 family members able to afford tickets that are being sold for £800+. These do not sound like repatriation flights! Why are Pakistani Brits not afforded the same care as other Brits?
— Tabassum Niamat (@NiamatTabassum) April 3, 2020
Meanwhile, the UK mission in Sri Lanka updated Britons in the country about daily Qatar Airways flights.
A reminder to British visitors in #SriLanka pic.twitter.com/o9u7wBSyl4
— UK in Sri Lanka???? (@UKinSriLanka) April 3, 2020
By Saturday (4) morning, the global number of Covid-19 cases climbed to 1,100,283, with at least 58,929 deaths.
