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Stranded amid lockdown, 250 depart from Amritsar airport
On Friday, the British Airways had announced 17 charter flights to airlift the residents of UK from India. Among these, four flights will depart from Amritsar airport, while the other flights will depart from Ahmadabad, Bangalore (via Ahmadabad), Delhi, Goa and Mumbai.
As many as 250 residents of the UK, including 28 Indians, who were stranded in the country after the nationwide lockdown, departed for London from Amritsar airport via a special flight started by the British government on Tuesday.
Of these 250 passengers, around 120 were taken to the Amritsar airport from Ludhiana by four Volvo buses arranged by the British High Commission.
The commission had tied up with KTC Transport Company to ferry the passengers from the different districts of the state to the airport. The bus drivers, who had been provided the list of passengers by the commission, verified the ID numbers provided to the passengers before they boarded the bus.
On Tuesday morning, a number of green card holders had gathered near the Bhai Bala Chowk in Ludhiana. Most of the passengers that were travelling back home were elderly. Among them, an 82-year-old Amarjit Kaur, a resident of England, said, “I came to Ludhiana on March 3 to meet my relatives and for some personal work. I had to return on March 31, but the flights were cancelled.”
“A few days ago, I wrote a mail to the British High Commission that I want to go back home to my family. Soon, I received a reply and they asked me to reach near Bhai Bala Chowk today morning,” she said while adding that she was worried about her VISA that will expire on May 1.
Meanwhile, Punjab’s special chief secretary (disaster management COVID-19) KBS Sidhu had also confirmed on Twitter, “Amritsar International Airport: British Airways special chartered flight for London departs shortly. 222 (UK) + 28 (Indian) Total PAX 250.”
On Friday, the British Airways had announced 17 charter flights to airlift the residents of UK from India. Among these, four flights will depart from Amritsar airport on April 21, 23, 25 and 27, while the other flights will depart from Ahmadabad, Bangalore (via Ahmadabad), Delhi, Goa and Mumbai, as per the release issued by the Press and Communications, British High Commission, New Delhi.
