Coronavirus: first chartered flight home for Hongkongers stuck in India lockdown earmarked for this weekend
- More than 200 city residents set to be on flight ‘tentatively scheduled’ for Sunday
- But thousands more still stranded in lockdown of world’s second most populous country without knowing when they can come home
The government said on Wednesday that a flight had been “tentatively scheduled” for Sunday that would prioritise Hongkongers located in New Delhi and the surrounding areas with special requirements, which included pregnant women, children and those with illnesses, as well as family members travelling with them.
Immigration officials are still confirming numbers but believe more than 200 passengers will be on the flight. Sources involved in the repatriation said on Wednesday that 260 passengers would leave New Delhi aboard an Air India flight, expected to depart at 11.05pm on Sunday.
Passengers will bear the cost of the journey, which is capped at HK$8,000 (US$1,032) per person. There is the possibility of another flight from Mumbai, the Post has learned.
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However, thousands remain in the South Asian country, which has recorded 74,000 coronavirus cases and 2,400 deaths, without any information about when further flights will be arranged.
