#Update 5: As at 2.45pm, June 4

The Indian High Commission has just released information on the revised schedule of Vande Bharat Mission flights. Please scroll to the bottom for the revised schedule.

#Update 4: As at 12.45pm, June 1.

The Indian High Commission has just released information on special non-scheduled Air India flights under #Vandebharatmission to repatriate Indian nationals stranded in New Zealand. Details are on the Commission’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/HighCommissionofIndiaNewZealand/ Please scroll below for more information on this.

The status of the private chartered flights as arranged by CapaJet, is still not clear. The story will be updated when more details are released on it.

#Update 3: As at 9.30am, June 1.

The Indian High Commission has told us that their team is working on this, and will release more details as anything is finalised.

#Update 2: As at 11pm, May 29.

CapaJet has not opened ticket sales today, as was originally planned, on the advise of the Indian High Commission. Other details on the flight timings and routes will come on Monday.

#Update 1: Quote from CapaJet as at 7pm, May 28.

We wish to further advise all that we have had a productive day working with the relevant authorities including Mr. Paramjeet Singh at the Indian High Commission New Zealand, and look to be sharing positive news tomorrow, which will be outlining a simplified process. Great credit to all involved and who are all working towards the successful repatriation missions on hand, which may include other locations.

(on 8am, May 28) In line with the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs order dated May 24, 2020, to “permit international charter operations and operations by private aircraft to bring back stranded Indian nationals to India”, three flights have been arranged between New Zealand and India in June.

Abhishek Sharma from the Wellington-based non-profit, Ekta, an organisation well-known for its community work, informed,”We’re very excited to announce the following three flights from New Zealand back to India. Auckland to Delhi on June 8, Auckland to Chennai on June 10, and Christchurch to Mumbai on June 13. Capa Jet (www.capajet.com) have chartered Singapore Airlines to run the following flights with bookings managed by Flight Centre (Australia) (www.flightcentre.com.au). Tickets for the first flight will be available to purchase from Friday, May 29.”*

*Update: An earlier version of the article mentioned Flight Centre NZ as the booking partner, which has now been replaced with Flight Centre Australia. CapaJet has informed us, “The booking will be completed via Flight Centre (Australia) using their call centre.” We regret the error.

“Those interested in availing this opportunity must fill out the following google form. Once you do, you will receive the ticketing link. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfoCocZatwCW9UjEFSa-P3N4HTHbq1vhncffRhw8GwUWHYVOg/viewform,” he added.

Importantly, Sharma said, “Please note that while we have preliminary approval from the Indian Government through the Indian High Commission in Wellington, our final approvals will require the final and confirmed flight manifest. Our applications are in line with the latest standard operating procedure and guidelines of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Civil Aviation that were released on the 21/5/20.”

This newspaper has also sought more details from the Indian High Commission in Wellington, and the story will be updated once we receive a reply from them. *

*We have now received a reply from the Indian High Commission, which has been updated below.

Meanwhile, Jay from Capa Jet also informed, “Our just launched three flights from New Zealand back to India are in line with the latest directive released by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs and Department of Civil Aviation which allows for charter flights and non-scheduled flights to operate back into India brining back stranded Indians. We have set-up an official Facebook group for this mission to allow for seamless communication at https://www.facebook.com/New-Zealand-India-Repatriation-Flights-108091897590461/.”

As regards to the tickets prices, the Ekta representative added, “These will be as below:

• Auckland to Delhi flying on June 8, USD$2,100 economy and USD$3,800 Business

• Auckland to Chennai flying on June 10, USD$2,100 economy and USD$3,800 Business

• Christchurch to Mumbai flying on June 13, USD$2,100 economy and USD$3,800 Business

On the question of quarantine facilities (with rates) once the passengers arrive in Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai, Sharma provided the following information.

“We realise everyone wants to get home and we endeavour to assist in this in the safest and most stress free way possible. We look forward to working with everybody and appreciate everyone’s patience as our team works though this project,” he concluded.

-Gaurav Sharma

Important: Please note the Standard Operating Protocol (SOP) for private aircraft and charter operations on international sectors in view of COVID-19 pandemic as issued by the Indian Department of Civil Aviation on May 26, 2020, is here www.civilaviation.gov.in/sites/default/files/SOP_for_Pvt_and_Charter_operations.pdf

From the Indian High Commission in response to our story:

Capajet and a few other chartered companies had been approaching us for some time asking if they could fly stranded Indians back to India. We could not agree to the same till now as there were no such guidelines from Government of India.

 On 26 May, as you have rightly quoted in your story, Ministry of Civil Aviation relaxed its guidelines, allowing any companies or group of people to charter a flight after getting certain approvals from Ministry of Civil Aviation and state government authorities, for which the proposal needed to be submitted to High Commission of India, that would include the proposed aircraft details, itinerary, etc as well as list of passengers who proposed to travel on the same.

High Commission of India will study the proposal and only after it approves the list of people from “compelling reasons” perspective, it will forward that proposal to Ministry of External Affairs of India, who will in turn get approval of concerned state government where that flight is proposed to land and any other states to which passengers of that flight belong. After that, in principal approval of Ministry of Civil Aviation and DGCA will be obtained by High Commission of India. Once the in principal approval comes, the organizer of the chartered flight will obtain all approvals from DGCA, NZ civil aviation authorities and any other approvals and formalities required.

Now, even before any proposal has been sent to the High Commission along with a list of potential passengers, allowing  High Commission to examine and approve the same, M/s Capajet has gone out with the impression as if all the approvals have been obtained and has even started accepting bookings, which is blatantly wrong and circumvents the whole procedural requirement.

We need to clarify, that India is still in the midst of COVID-19 travel restrictions and only those people can travel to India who meet Government of India’s criterion of “compelling circumstances” and a private chartered company cannot openly start accepting bookings in this manner.  

We reiterate that the first line of your story which says that “flights have been arranged” is factually incorrect as the High Commission of India is yet to get any such proposal to begin with!!!

The Indian News reply:

We stand by our story.

Our story, while quoting the representative of Ekta, clearly mentions “while we have preliminary approval from the Indian Government through the Indian High Commission in Wellington, our final approvals will require the final and confirmed flight manifest”.

The Indian High Commission has not denied that such a preliminary approval was indeed given. Also, our story clearly indicates that “final approvals require the final and confirmed flight manifest”.

Hence, we don’t see any point of confusion here.

Moreover, in its reply, the Indian High Commission has detailed the procedure of getting “Flight Clearance”. This is also the part of our story which was published in bold. We reproduce it below. (please refer to point 3 in the pdf)

“Important: Please note the Standard Operating Protocol (SOP) for private aircraft and charter operations on international sectors in view of COVID-19 pandemic as issued by the Indian Department of Civil Aviation on May 26, 2020, is here www.civilaviation.gov.in/sites/default/files/SOP_for_Pvt_and_Charter_operations.pdf”

Here too, we don’t see any point of confusion.

We also don’t agree with the Indian High Commission’s assertion that the line in the first paragraph of the story “flights have been arranged” is factually incorrect.

There is a difference between saying “flights have been confirmed”, and “flights have been arranged”. No where in the story, it is said that the flights have been confirmed. In fact – and we repeat – the story only talks about preliminary approval been given and ticket sale for the first flight opening on May 29.

Once again, we don’t see any point of confusion there.

Finally, on the question of the Indian High Commission note that “Capajet has gone out with the impression as if all the approvals have been obtained and has even started accepting bookings, which is blatantly wrong and circumvents the whole procedural requirement”.

This is matter between the Indian High Commission and Capajet. The Indian News cannot comment on that. We were informed of the ticket sale of the first flight opening on May 29, which we reported.

Details of the Vande Bharat Mission flights between New Zealand – India, as released by the Indian High Commission on June 1, 2020.

Revised details of the Vande Bharat Mission flights between New Zealand – India, as released by the Indian High Commission on June 4, 2020.