E-Paper
2 Indians fail antibody test, barred from boarding repatriation flight from UAE
India is operating 64 flights from 12 countries during the first week of the repatriation programme to bring back almost 15,000 citizens, mainly from West Asian countries.
Two passengers were barred from boarding an Air India special repatriation flight from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates to Hyderabad on Monday after they failed rapid antibody tests for Covid-19, people familiar with developments said.
The two people failed the IgM/IgG tests during the screening and testing by Indian and UAE authorities at the airport in Abu Dhabi and were rejected from boarding the aircraft, the people cited above said on condition of anonymity.
Two other wait-listed passengers were then put on flight AI 1920 in their place, and the aircraft left with 170 people, the people said. The flight reached Hyderabad at about 9 pm.
The two persons who failed the test will not be put in quarantine and provided treatment. Indian authorities had made it clear that only people who passed screening and tests and are asymptomatic will be allowed on repatriation flights being operated as part of Mission Vande Bharat.
Ajaykiran Donthala, an Indian who was stranded at the airport for almost 50 days, was repatriated on the same flight. Ambassador Pavan Kapoor met Donthala and other passengers before the flight took off.
India is operating 64 flights from 12 countries during the first week of the repatriation programme to bring back almost 15,000 citizens, mainly from West Asian countries.
Indian officials are carrying out stringent screening and testing of all citizens being repatriated by non-scheduled flights and naval ships from different countries as part of Mission Vande Bharat. Citizens who register for the programme are told only asymptomatic people will be allowed to take flights.
