New Delhi, May 12: The second phase of Vande Bharat Mission will be launched from May 16 and will continue till May 22. According to reports, in the second phase, the Indian government is planning to bring back Indians, who are stranded due to coronavirus, from 31 countries. The Air India and Air India Express will operate 149 flights including feeder flights. 12 Special Flights to Reach India on Day 6 of 'Vande Bharat Mission'.

As part of the second phase of Vande Bharat Mission, the Indian government will operate 13 flights to the United States, 11 to the United Arab Emirates, 10 to Canada, nine each to Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom. The other countries from where the Indian will be repatriated, include Kuwait, Malaysia, Oman, Russia, Singapore Ireland and Kuwait. Vande Bharat Mission: Air India Flight with 139 Passengers Departs from Riyadh in Saudi Arabia For Delhi.

Details of Vande Bharat Mission Phase -II:

Earlier this month, the Indian government announced to launch the Vande Bharat Mission in two phases. As part of the first phase, the government will operate 64 flights. Till now, the government has managed to bring back 6037 stranded Indians from 12 foreign countries in the last five days under the first phase of the mission. The mission began on May 7. Thirty-one out of 64 flights have been operated so far.

The Mission is the biggest ever repatriation exercise since independence to bring back stranded Indians from abroad, including from the US, the UAE and the UK. Nearly 15,000 Indians are expected to return on special Air India flights from 12 countries in the first phase of the mission. The passengers who are boarding these flights will have to pay their own fares. The Ministry of Civil aviation, the Ministry of External Affairs and state governments are working in close coordination for bring back Indian stuck in foreign countries.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 12, 2020 05:14 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).