German flag carrier, Lufthansa operated a repatriation flight between Frankfurt and New Delhi, on March 25, 2020. The special flight was operated to bring German citizens back home after flight operations were halted to and from India owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Lufthansa A380 aircraft departed at 1245 CET as repatriation flight LH9912 from Frankfurt to New Delhi. It arrived at around midnight at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. The return flight, LH343 to Frankfurt, departed from New Delhi at 0130 (local time).
Since 14 March, Lufthansa Group airlines, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa and Eurowings have flown about 220 special flights back to the home countries of Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Belgium. Over 70 further flights are already in preparation.
Commenting on the initiative, George Ettiyil, senior director sales, south Asia, Lufthansa Group said, “Carrying out repatriation flights and bringing people back home is the responsibility that Lufthansa Group airlines bear being part of the critical infrastructure in the home countries of Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Belgium.
“For us being able to operate the repatriation flight with the A380, it was very helpful that Indian authorities decided to extend visas of foreigners in India last week.”
