Working with govt officials in US, abroad to get stranded people back home: United Airlines

The United Airlines has said that it is working with government officials in the US and abroad to help stranded people get home in the wake of COVID-19 crisis.

"We are working with government officials in the US and abroad to help people get home. When and where possible, we are working to repatriate travellers who are stranded abroad in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis," the airline said in a statement.

"We are working closely with government officials here in the US as well as in other countries where flying has been restricted to gain the necessary approvals to operate service," it added.

The airline said that in regions where government actions have barred international flying, it has coordinated with the US State Department and local government officials to re-instate some flights and have been operating several extra flights to countries in Central America and South America.

United Airlines stated that it will have operated 56 repatriation flights bringing nearly 8,000 passengers home from places like Guatemala City, Lima, Quito, Roatan, San Salvador, San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa by the end of today's operation.

"We will continue working with government officials in the near-term to play our part in bringing Americans home. Beginning April 5, United will begin operating repatriation flights from Delhi to San Francisco," read the statement.

Several countries have imposed travel restrictions in order to contain novel coronavirus which has claimed lives of over 50,000 worldwide.

The US is the new epicentre with over 245,000 confirmed cases of the virus, which is the highest in the world. As of Friday morning, more than 6,000 Americans died from COVID-19.