Media Release

Sharjah, Jul 5: Karnataka Cultural Foundation (KCF), UAE has facilitated the third charter flight to repatriate stranded Indians in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Mangaluru.

The third charter flight took off on Sunday, July 5 at 7 am from Sharjah with a total of 173 passengers including elderly people, pregnant women, people with medical emergencies, stranded tourists, visit visa holders and people who have lost their employment.

KCF stated that it was in the process of arranging more charter flights to Mangaluru in the coming days.

Abdul Jaleel Nizami, president of KCF, UAE said, "We are happy to see that our brethren are being repatriated to their homes during this difficult situation in UAE and hope that they all will reunite with their families after their quarantine at the earliest."

"We had given out tickets at discounted rates to those passengers who could not afford the full repatriation cost. We also sponsored tickets for a few passengers who could not pay for the tickets. In addition to that, we also provided free PPE kits and snacks to the passengers on board," he said.

"Mandatory quarantine for all the passengers was arranged according to the Government of Karnataka protocol in different hotels in Mangaluru," Nizami asserted.

"We are thankful to the Indian Consulate in Dubai, for all their support in making this possible. There has been huge support from the members of KCF, UAE, who have tirelessly helped us with this initiative. Special thanks to the Government of Karnataka, Dakshina Kannada district administration for their timely approvals," the KCF president said.

Nizami also stated that the organization has been distributing meals to around 1,500 people every day since March 2020.

KCF officials and volunteers were present at the airport at the time of departure to assist the passengers.