225 passengers arrive at Mumbai airport from Malaysia as part of Vande Bharat Mission

The evacuation operation is part of the country’s largest-ever initiative to bring back Indian nationals amid the coronavirus-induced lockdown.

Under the Vande Bharat Mission, Air India’s repatriation flight AI-1377, carrying 225 passengers from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia arrived at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport early on Wednesday.

Indians undergoing Covid-19 tests after arriving by a special flight under Vande Bharat Mission (ANI)

The evacuation operation is part of the country’s largest-ever initiative to bring back Indian nationals amid the coronavirus-induced lockdown.

Similarly, an Air India repatriation flight carrying 169 medical students from Dhaka in Bangladesh reached Srinagar on Tuesday.

“Indian Embassy in Bangladesh and Indian Govt helped us a lot. We are happy to be back. We are thankful to the Indian Government,” one of the medical students said.

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Ministry of Civil Aviation had said that a total of 6,037 Indians have been flown back to India in 31 inbound flights operated by Air India and Air India Express under Vande Bharat Mission in 5 days beginning from May 7.

“Under this mission, Ministry of Civil Aviation is coordinating with Ministry of External Affairs and state Governments for bringing Indians back to their homeland,” the Ministry said.

Air India along with its subsidiary Air India Express are operating a total of 64 flights (42 by Air India and 24 by AI Express) to 12 countries including USA, UK Bangladesh, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Philippines, UAE and Malaysia to repatriate 14,800 Indians back in the first phase.

The second phase of Vande Bharat Mission will be launched from May 16-22 during which 149 flights, including feeder flights, will be operated to bring back Indians from 31 countries, sources said.