3,700 stranded foreigners go home in 20 flights from Mumbai

Mumbai, April 15 (IANS) As the country remains in lockdown, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport here facilitated the evacuation of around 3,700 foreigners to their home countries in 20 flights, said an official.After the Covid-19 pandemic directives, all commercial passenger flights into and outside India have been stopped to prevent the spread of the virus.However, in collaboration with various airlines and embassies of different countries, the CSMIA helped operate 20 flights carrying the stranded foreigners from Mumbai to London, Atlanta, Paris, Frankfurt, Singapore and Tokyo among other destinations.The CSMIA said it took all precautions to ensure passenger safety while arriving at the airport and during boarding.For this, the airport put up a stringent screening process right from the time of entry to the airport premises till they boarded the aircraft, and the same was implemented for incoming passengers also.After the lockdown, the CSMIA has been working with curtailed staff, mostly handling cargo, charter flights, military or freighter services, said a spokesperson.During the ongoing lockdown, the CSMIA managed the movements of 240 cargo flights for imports and exports of various commodities with highest safety and security.
--IANS qn/kr