As many as 148 stranded Indian nationals from Abu Dhabi arrived by the Air India flight at the airport here around 9 p.m. on Tuesday.
Indian nationals, stranded in various countries due to the lockdown, being implemented to check the spread of COVID-19, are being flown back into the country as part of the ‘Vande Bharat’ programme of the Government of India.
Of the 148 passengers, 25 are being flown to Hyderabad by the same flight. The departure of the other flight to Vizag from Manila, which is bringing around 230 Indian nationals, was delayed and is expected to arrive here around 10 p.m., according to Airport Director M. Raja Kishore.
Special APSRTC buses have been kept ready at the airport for transport of the foreign returnees to their native districts.
One flight from Doha and another from Kuala Lumpur are expected to arrive with 150 passengers each, on May 20 and 22 respectively.
All the passengers coming by the Vande Bharat flights will be tested for COVID-19 on arrival at the airport. They will be sent for compulsory quarantine to their respective native places.