Multiple flights from New Delhi to San Francisco will be arranged to repatriate US citizens stranded in northern and eastern India due to a lockdown in the country to combat the coronavirus outbreak, the American embassy here said on Friday.
The flights will begin operating from April 4, the embassy said. US Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster lauded the government's efforts to fight coronavirus.
"The US Mission supports the Government of India in the fight against #COVID19. Impressive to see the public support for the lockdown and social distancing, with no sign of civil unrest. #USIndia," Juster said in a tweet.
The embassy has asked US citizens to share their location and other details by filling out the form at https://tinyurl.com/uscit-indiaso and also register for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) at https:tep.state.gov/ to receive critical information concerning flight opportunities.
For US citizens in northern and eastern India, multiple flights from New Delhi to San Francisco are being arranged, the mission said in a statement.
"Based on prioritization, we will reach out to you directly via email to offer a seat on a flight. Please respond within the time frame specified in the email. We will not be able to accommodate requests for specific flight preferences," the statement said.
The embassy said it is planning to facilitate transportation to Delhi from some cities in northern India and will share the via STEP once the arrangements are finalised.
"Currently, we are planning flights from Kolkata, Dehradun, and Amritsar to Delhi for onward flights to San Francisco. We are also planning for bus transportation from Jaipur and Dharamshala to Delhi for onward flights to San Francisco," it said.
"As these plans develop, we will reach out to those who have self-designated as being located in these areas. We urge American citizens to be ready to depart on short notice," the US embassy said.
For US citizens in southern and western India, the US embassy said it is coordinating closely with the Indian government and commercial air carriers to facilitate flights to the US.
"We will have several flights departing Mumbai and arriving in Atlanta, Georgia, beginning the weekend of April 4," it said.
"US Consulate General Mumbai is working to facilitate ground transportation to Mumbai from areas including Goa, Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara (Baroda), and Pune," the statement said.
"In cooperation with US Consulates General Chennai and Hyderabad, we are also working to arrange domestic charter flights to allow US citizens from those areas to reach Mumbai," the statement added.
The US mission further said the repatriation flights from Mumbai will terminate in Atlanta and passengers will need to arrange and fund their own transportation to their final destinations.
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