Pilot tests COVID-19 positive; Air India flight returns midway

New Delhi, May 30: Air India flight, AI-1945, going to Moscow, Russia from Delhi on Saturday under Vande Bharat Mission has returned mid-way over Uzbekistan after pilot's COVID-19 test result came positive.

The aircraft is a ferry flight and now under disinfection process at Delhi airport, according to the report.

Under the Vande Bharat mission, over 45,000 stranded Indians have been brought back home from abroad and another 1,00,000 will be evacuated till June 13, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.

MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said that a number of 3,08,200 people have registered their request with Vande Bharat mission abroad for repatriation to India.

Srivastava said that the government's target is to bring back 1,00,000 people from 60 countries by the end of phase two of the mission.

Meanwhile, India has included private airlines in the second phase of the mega mission.

With Air India flights, private and chartered flights have also begun to operate in bringing back the stranded Indians.

The mega evacuation mission under name of Vande Bharat Mission was launched on May 7.