Team Herald
vasco: As per latest information, on Wednesday late night, the 19th relief flight carrying 316 stranded UK nationals and one infant would have departed Goa airport and would later land at the London Stansted Airport.
Speaking to the media, Gagan Malik Director of International Airport Dabolim said that Airport Authority of India (AAI), Goa International Airport during this time of distress has been working 24 by7.
“To make this operation happen, lots of teamwork has been done t we are today able to send more than 3,000 passengers to their various destinations around the globe,” Malik added.
Furthermore, the Director added” We are having two more flights available in the coming four days. We are expecting next week we shall be having 3 more flights probably to the UK and there are other indications available that other nations are also going to come with their relief flights. Goa airport is fully geared up to take up this challenge and see to it that these passengers and people are duly taken care off. In today’s flight we have about 50 wheelchair passengers so all these arrangements have been taken care of,” he added.
On a concluding note, Malik mentioned as per the instructions from the Centre, all the international departing passengers are supposed to fill the self declaration form as well as their thermal screening is being carried out. Further the passengers’ history and medical condition is being checked so that any suspected case does not travel. “We will do our best to send our stranded guests to their various destinations” Malik concluded.
Further, Paul Carter, Acting Deputy High Commissioner (British Deputy High Commission-Western India) said, “We are helping 300 British nationals today, and this is going to be the first of the 7 flights taking people across India this week. However we know that there are many thousands of British nationals in Goa very eager to go home and we are working round the clock to make sure that we get flights for those as soon as possible.”
Air India not accepting bookings till April 30
Malik revealed that as per his information Air India is not accepting any flight bookings till April 30, 2020.
