Indian nationals check-in at Muscat airport before boarding a flight to India
Two Air India Express flights carrying 362 people from Oman and Kuwait arrived at the international airport in Kochi on Saturday night as part of India's "Vande Bharat Mission" to bring home its citizens stranded in various countries due to the coronavirus lockdown.
The flights from two Gulf nations landed in Kochi with 362 passengers on board, including eight infants, a Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) spokesman said.
Official sources said all the passengers will be subjected to COVID rapid tests at the airport before they are transferred to their respective destinations by special taxis and Kerala state transport buses.
The repatriated Indians will be put in quarantine upon completion of formalities at the airport.
Another Air India Express flight from Doha, carrying 177 passengers and six infants, is expected to arrive at Kochi early Sunday, sources said.