Kathmandu: The government has extended the flight schedule for the third time in a week to rescue Nepalis stranded abroad. There have been 42 rescue flights from six countries since Wednesday.
According to the Covid-19 Crisis Management Center (CCMC) cantonment, the rescue flight will start from next Wednesday (July 16) and will continue till Tuesday, July 20. According to the schedule made public by CCMC, Nepali citizens will be rescued from Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi of UAE, Dammam and Riyadh of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Malaysia.
The CCMC has mentioned that the schedule has been made public as per the decision taken by the Board of Directors headed by Deputy Prime Minister Ishwor Pokharel on Friday. The government has suspended regular commercial flights till July 20.
According to Buddhisagar Lamichhane, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism, the CCMC has made public the third rescue flight schedule in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Today is the last day of the government's campaign to repatriate Nepalis stranded in different countries due to COVID-19. The government has suspended the flight for two days before the start of the third phase of the rescue flight. During the two days, the government will review the shortcomings in rescue flights.
CCMC has given permission to Nepal Airlines Corporation to operate 16 flights from 10 airports in 6 countries and Himalayan Airlines to operate 16 and 32 flights.
Similarly, Air Arabia has received 2 flights, Fly-Dubai 2 and Malaysia's Malindo Air 4 flights under foreign airlines.
Qatar and Turkish Air, which were on rescue flights earlier, are not involved in the third phase of the rescue operation. Qatar and Turkey brought Nepalis stranded in Europe and the United States to Nepal during a month-long rescue flight in the first and second phases.
The government has suspended international and commercial flights from March 26 and March 29 with the aim of preventing the epidemic of Covid-19. The government has repeatedly suspended flights till July 20 due to the eighth decision. At present, charter flights are being operated internally as per the decision of the CCMC Board of Directors.
The Covid-19 Crisis Management Operations Center has stated that at least 26,000 Nepalis have arrived in Nepal via Tribhuvan International Airport from 159 rescue flights through 24 countries till Wednesday. The government had started the rescue flight on June 11.
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