British Airways has helped thousands of British citizens to return to the United Kingdom from India. The airline has been working with the UK Foreign and Commonwealth office to help repatriate stranded passengers.

Many passengers found themselves stranded abroad due to the current crisis when countries began to implement travel bans rather quickly. As a result, governments across the globe have teamed up with airlines to bring their citizens home. While Lufthansa has wrapped up its repatriation effort for Germany, the British repatriation effort still seems to be in full swing.

65 repatriation flights

So far, British Airways has agreed to operate 65 repatriation flights for the British Government. The UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office is working with several airlines, including British Airways, easyJet, Virgin Atlantic, Jet2, and others, to bring Brits home. As part of the effort to bring people back, British Airways has operated flights to 11 airports in India over two weeks.

According to Business Traveller, India banned international flights just under a month ago from the 23rd of March. As a result, regularly scheduled flights were canceled, and many ended up stranded. We've already seen Air India operate many trips to bring stranded Germans home.

British Airways, India, Repatriation flights
One of British Airways' many flights to repatriate those stuck in India. Photo: British Airways

11 Indian airports

British Airways is operating rescue flights from 11 Indian airports to its London Heathrow home. For two weeks, flights will be conducted to these regular British Airways destinations:

  • Delhi;
  • Mumbai;
  • Hyderabad;
  • Bengaluru;
  • Chennai.

Additionally, the airline will also be serving additional cities that are not part of its regular route network. These are:

  • Goa;
  • Amritsar;
  • Kolkata;
  • Ahmedabad;
  • Kochi;
  • Thiruvananthapuram.

India is an important market for British Airways. The destination has featured in several of the airline's marketing campaigns. Additionally, last year we reported that the airline would open a crew base in Hyderabad.

A brief insight into a repatriation flight

As part of its Indian repatriation flights, British Airways produced a short film giving a little taste of what the flights mean. The film was produced by Jack Woodhouse, Customer Service Manager, and Graham Dawkins, a pilot.

https://d1btjlf89lsb3b.cloudfront.net/BrandID86/720-mp4/Amritsar-Repatriation-Flight-1080P-With-Subs_5e9ebd030d2c2_1587461379.mp4

Shown in the film was the Boeing 777 G-STBL on a repatriation flight to Amritsar. This aircraft alone has so far completed six rotations to India since the 12th of April. Five to Amritsar, and most recently one to Ahmedabad.

British Airways 777 repatriation
In March, the airline sent three Boeing 777s to Havana to repatriate stranded travelers from the cruise ship MS Braemar. Photo: Getty Images

In March, British Airways operated one of the first repatriation flights since the current crisis unfolded. The British flag carrier flew three Boeing 777s to Havana, Cuba, to repatriate passengers who had been stranded on the Fred Olsen Braemar cruise ship. The ship was turned away from two ports because some passengers had displayed coronavirus symptoms.

Has British Airways or another carrier helped you to return home? Let us know your stories in the comments section!