New Delhi, June 5: Air India on Friday opened bookings for select destinations in the United States, Canada, African and European countries, including the United Kingdom under Phase-3 of the Mission Vande Bharat. The booking opened at 5 pm on June 5, and within two hours 60 million hits were received on Air India’s website - www.airindia.in. Till 7 pm, 1700 seats were sold through the website alone. Indian stranded abroad due to coronavirus can still book tickets through the official website.

The phase three of the Vande Bharat Mission will begin from June 10 and will continue till July 1 to repatriate Indian from six African countries, the US, Canada and others. In the first two phases of the mission, over one lakh Indians stranded across the world have been brought back to the country so far. The first phase of the Vande Bharat Mission began on May 7. A total of 64 flights were operated by Air India in this phase. The national carrier operated 180 flights in the second phase. Vande Bharat Phase 3: Air India to Operate 5 Flights from London to Bring Home Around 1,200 Nationals.

The second phase of the mission which had begun on May 17 is in progress and will end on June 13. Till now Air India has operated 103 flights. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said that around 348,565 Indians have so far registered with missions abroad to be repatriated on compelling grounds.

How to Book a Ticket for Boarding Flights as Part of Vande Bharat Mission Phase-III:

  • Open Air India’s Official Website – www.airindia.in.

  • Click on Book Flight option

  • A new tab with three options will open.

  • Click on "For Evacuation Flight Booking Ex-India" option.

  • A new tab will open. Click on "Continue" button.

  • After new tab opens, accept the terms and conditions and then click on "Book Now" option.

  • Enter your details and then book a ticket.

Air India asked passengers to web check-in before arrival at an airport. More than 243 passengers will not be allowed to travel in a single flight. Air India brought 3,891 people from Dubai, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Bahrain, Salalah, Moscow, Kiev, Madrid, Tokyo, Dhaka, Bishkek, Almaty, Riyadh and Dammam on June 1.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 05, 2020 09:36 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).