News

Fifth wave of rescue flights planned for Brits stranded in India

A fifth round of government rescue flights from India will bring 2,000 stranded British travellers home.

Seven additional charters will run from Amritsar to Heathrow between May 5-11.

More than 15,000 Britons will have been brought back from India on 59 special flights once the latest flying programme is completed.

The government previously announced 52 charter flights bringing back more than 13,000 people from India as part of a £75 million global repatriation exercise.

Over 10,000 of those have travelled, with the remaining amount due in coming weeks, according to the Foreign Office.

South Asia and the Commonwealth minister Lord Tariq Ahmad said: “Our charter programme has already helped more than 10,000 British travellers return home from India by ensuring flights to the UK have run every day since April 8, with thousands more due to depart in the coming days.

“These additional flights will help over 2,000 more people get back to their loved ones here in the UK. I would like to thank the government of India for their help in making it happen.”

Acting High Commissioner to India Jan Thompson added: “This fifth round of flights brings the total number of planes we have organised from India to 59.

“There have been daily departures from across the country for weeks, which have helped thousands of people get back to their friends and families in the UK.

“My team and I will continue to do all we can to support British people who remain in India.”

Share article

View Comments

Jacobs Media is honoured to be the recipient of the 2020 Queen's Award for Enterprise.

The highest official awards for UK businesses since being established by royal warrant in 1965. Read more.