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Two Navy ships are headed to Maldives to begin extrication of distressed Indians from May 8. Another two ships could soon be sailing off to bring back people from countries around the Persian Gulf.

Also, Air India will operate 64 international flights from May 7 to 13 to bring back some of the stranded Indians from a dozen countries, including the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries, the US, Singapore and the UK.

Passengers will have to pay for their tickets which, as per initial announcements, from Indian missions in two countries, are at least 25 per cent higher than normal fare. However, unlike the trains for migrants, some flights will carry those who are in India but have long term visas and work opportunities outside and want to return.

Sources clarified that this was not a government-sponsored operations but one meant to facilitate the return of distressed Indians, who are paying for their passage.

Making the announcement, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri held out the hope of private airlines joining in the extraction of Indians stranded in several other countries. The minister’s hint about involving private airlines will not just lift the spirits of stranded Indians, but also provide business to them. All domestic airlines have shelved operations since March 25 leading to losses.

The initiative is being coordinated by the Ministries of Defence, External Affairs, Home Affairs and Health besides various other agencies of the Central and state governments. The MEA will appoint senior nodal officers for all the states and Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla will hold a videoconference with state chief secretaries to firm up the subsequent arrangements.

If the world-wide lockdown on international flights continues, India may have to mount several hundred flights to evacuate just the most distressed of its nationals. For comparison, UK, a much smaller country, has evacuated its nationals from India in an almost equal number of flights.

But sources counseled patience and said more phases of extrication will be carried out. The first phase of the evacuation in most countries will give priority to the elderly and the pregnant, urgent medical cases and those facing bereavement in India.

The announcement left stranded Indians in several other countries complaining of neglect on social media. But it has also come as a major relief for many such as the pregnant wife of one Hemant Tripathi who was stuck in Jeddah.

The Indian Navy has launched Operation Samudra Setu by sending two ships to Maldives to bring back some of the emergency cases under phase I. On their return from Male, both ships will dock at Kochi and the returnees will be entrusted to the state government.