Repatriation flights from Australia: Update on airfares, mandatory registration for Indians and OCI cardholders

All Indian nationals and OCI cardholders who intend to travel to India for compelling reasons must register with their respective consulates in order to be shortlisted for the second phase of repatriation from Australia.

Air India has announced its next phase of repatriation flights between India and Australia. Source: Twitter/ Air India

Highlights

• Indian nationals, OCI cardholders with compelling needs to travel must register with an Indian Mission/Post
• Registrations will close at 11:59 pm (AEST) on June 8
• Passengers will have to pay upwards of $1600 for Air India repatriation flights

The Indian High Commission in Canberra has announced that the mandatory registration for all those who wish to be repatriated as part of the Indian government’s ‘Vande Bharat Mission’ needs to be completed before 11:59 pm (AEST) tonight.

Registration can be completed through this form, also available on the websites of the consulates in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.

The form allows applicants to specify if they have any compelling reasons to travel such as medical conditions or if they need to travel because there's been a death in the family or if he/she is a student whose hostel or education provider is currently closed, among many other reasons.

A snapshot of the form. Source: Supplied

All those who had registered last month ahead of the first phase of repatriation that operated between May 21 and May 28 also need to “re-register compulsorily” as per the notice issued by the High Commission.

The notice further states that all those who have individually contacted the Missions or Posts for assistance through email/fax/phone/social media also need to register through the link above.  

The purpose of this registration is to collect details for planning and shortlisting and “it does not mean the final selection for travelling.”

Flight schedule for the next phase of repatriation Source: Ministry of External Affairs India

Over 8,300 Indian passport holders are waiting to be repatriated from Australia in the next phase of repatriation slated to commence from June 17, out of which close to only 1,950 passengers are expected to be repatriated in this phase.

There will be eight more flights from Australia in this phase, with four each departing from Sydney and Melbourne. Four of these flights will land in capital city New Delhi, while others will land in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kochi and Hyderabad.

Karan Singh Panwar Source: Supplied

Melbourne-based international student Karan Singh Panwar who was not shortlisted for the first phase said he is "cautiously hopeful" that maybe this time he would be able to reunite with his family in New Delhi after months of waiting.

"I am hoping against hope that this time my circumstances would be deemed compelling and my name would be shortlisted. I know there are thousands of others waiting to return home and things are only going to get tougher for all those who would be left behind in this phase," said Mr Singh.

Details of airfare for the second phase of evacuation:

The travellers will have to bear the cost of these flights. Indian nationals will have to shell out upwards of $1,600 for an economy ticket and business class travellers were charged between $4,110 to $4,310 depending on their city of destination, as part of the second phase from June 17 to June 24.

Given the huge number of people who are keen to go home, Deputy High Commissioner, P.S. Karthigeyan had earlier said that it would not be possible for them to repatriate everyone who has registered with the High Commission.

“Given the capacity and demand, it’s not possible to repatriate every Indian national to India. We are limited to compelling needs only,” he said.

All passengers who will be repatriated through these flights will have to undergo a 14-day mandatory quarantine split into one week of paid institutional quarantine followed by another week of self-isolation at home, as per the latest guidelines issued by the Indian government.

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