KOLKATA: A special flight picked-up 100 Americans, including an infant, from Kolkata on Wednesday evening and repatriated them to San Francisco in the US after a change of aircraft in Delhi. This is the second batch of Americans stranded in Kolkata and the rest of eastern India to be flown back to the country, following the lockdown nearly a month ago. On April 5, 89 Americans had been airlifted from the city half an hour before the lights-off event to display citizens’ solidarity and resolve in the fight against the Covid-19.
“We are honored and privileged to be able to reunite Americans with their families back in the US,” US consul general Patti Hoffman tweeted after the 56 women, 44 men and an infant took off in the Air India Airbus-A320neo aircraft. In the earlier instance, too, it was Air India that had transported Americans to Delhi, from where they boarded a United Airlines special flight to San Francisco as they did on Wednesday night as well. Both flights were organized by the US embassy that has repatriated around 3,200 US citizens from the country so far.
Codenamed AI-1701, the flight landed in Kolkata around 4pm and took off at 6.23pm. Prior to boarding, passengers underwent thermal screening after entering the terminal through gate 3C. The passengers were then frisked by CISF personnel wearing personal protection equipment. In the security hold area, rows of seats were re-arranged to ensure they were adequately apart to maintain social distancing norms that is in force.
In the aircraft, too, the middle seat in each row on either side of the aisle was left vacant to adhere to social distancing norms. The only passenger who was allowed a leeway was an infant who travelled in the mother’s lap, blissfully unaware of the havoc that the novel coronavirus has wreaked in everyday life across the globe.
Sources said the passengers had to sign an evacuation loan repayment agreement as there was no payment upfront since the flight cost had not yet been computed. Each passenger was allowed with only one piece of checked-in luggage and one carry-on bag. Meanwhile, scammers are trying to prey on the desperation of foreigners who are keen to return. The US state department has issued a warning to be vigilant in this regard.
“We are honored and privileged to be able to reunite Americans with their families back in the US,” US consul general Patti Hoffman tweeted after the 56 women, 44 men and an infant took off in the Air India Airbus-A320neo aircraft. In the earlier instance, too, it was Air India that had transported Americans to Delhi, from where they boarded a United Airlines special flight to San Francisco as they did on Wednesday night as well. Both flights were organized by the US embassy that has repatriated around 3,200 US citizens from the country so far.
Codenamed AI-1701, the flight landed in Kolkata around 4pm and took off at 6.23pm. Prior to boarding, passengers underwent thermal screening after entering the terminal through gate 3C. The passengers were then frisked by CISF personnel wearing personal protection equipment. In the security hold area, rows of seats were re-arranged to ensure they were adequately apart to maintain social distancing norms that is in force.
In the aircraft, too, the middle seat in each row on either side of the aisle was left vacant to adhere to social distancing norms. The only passenger who was allowed a leeway was an infant who travelled in the mother’s lap, blissfully unaware of the havoc that the novel coronavirus has wreaked in everyday life across the globe.
Sources said the passengers had to sign an evacuation loan repayment agreement as there was no payment upfront since the flight cost had not yet been computed. Each passenger was allowed with only one piece of checked-in luggage and one carry-on bag. Meanwhile, scammers are trying to prey on the desperation of foreigners who are keen to return. The US state department has issued a warning to be vigilant in this regard.
Coronavirus outbreak
Trending Topics
LATEST VIDEOS
More from TOI
Navbharat Times
Featured Today in Travel
Get the app