Covid-19: 271 UK nationals leave Amritsar on special flight amid lockdown

Around 271 United Kingdom (UK) nationals left for their country on Saturday, in a special British Airways flight from Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport in Amritsar on Saturday amid coronavirus lockdown.

These UK nationals were stranded here amid the lockdown. The UK government along with the Government of India has commenced a special flight to evacuate the stranded people. The flight was scheduled to take off at 2:30 AM from Amritsar.

The UK nationals were happy with their government who took an initiative to evacuate their stranded citizens.

Speaking to ANI before the flight took off, Shingara Singh, UK national said, "I came here on January 24. After the lockdown was imposed we had to stay here. We would like to thank the Indian citizens for assistance. As compared to other countries, India is doing really well amid the Covid-19 crisis."

Another UK national, Balwant Singh told ANI, "I came here on February 26, I would like to thank the British Government. We were so stressed. I would like to request everyone to stay in their homes."

Earlier on April 23, around 250 British nationals who were stranded in India due to the coronavirus lockdown, left for their country from Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport in Amritsar on a special British Airways flight.

A relief flight of the same airline with 260 stranded passengers onboard had departed from Amritsar on April 21.