Operated 200 charter flights repatriating around 30,000 Indians till now, says SpiceJet

Amid the coronavirus restrictions, SpiceJet said on Thursday it has operated a total of 200 charter flights to repatriate close to 30,000 Indians till now.

In a press release, the airline said it has operated 111 charter flights from the UAE bringing back 20,000 Indians.

It added it has operated around 50 charter flights from Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Lebanon and Sri Lanka "to bring thousands back home".

Scheduled international passenger flights continue to remain suspended in India. Domestic passenger flights resumed in India on May 25 after a gap of two months due to the coronavirus-triggered lockdown.

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SpiceJet said it "has operated 200 charter flights playing a key role to help Indians stranded abroad return home and reunite with their families".

"The airline has helped repatriate close to 30,000 Indian nationals so far," it added.

Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on June 20 said the government will start thinking of resuming scheduled international passenger flights in mid-July, when it expects the domestic air traffic to reach 50-55 per cent of the levels before coronavirus.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said on June 26 it is extending the suspension of scheduled international passenger flights in the country till July 15 but added that some international scheduled services on selected routes may be permitted on a case-to-case basis.