SWISS conducts repatriation flight from Kochi to Zurich with 213 passengers

Amid the coronavirus lockdown, Lufthansa group's SWISS airline said it operated a special repatriation flight from Kochi to Zurich on Sunday with 213 Swiss and other European nationals.

The airline's A340-300 aircraft departed from Zurich to Kolkata to pick 49 passengers, then went to Kochi to pick 164 passengers, and returned to Zurich with total 213 passengers at 7.08 AM (local time) on Sunday, SWISS said in its press release.

India has been under lockdown since March 25 to curb the spread of coronavirus, which has infected 26,900 people and killed over 800 people in the country till now.

All domestic and international commercial passenger flights have been suspended for the lockdown period. However, cargo flights, medical evacuation flights, and special flights permitted by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) can operate during this period.

George Ettiyil, Senior Director, South Asia, Lufthansa Group, said, "After seamless and successful repatriation endeavors from major cities, including Delhi and Mumbai, we are now expanding our efforts towards other regions such as Kochi and Kolkata."