Repatriation flights bring joy, hope to stranded passengers

The repatriation effort from the UAE would not have been possible had it not been for the tireless work by missions of various countries; medical staff who tested and cleared passengers for the journey, pilots, cabin crew, immigration, and airport authorities who ensured everything goes according to plan. India’s massive plan to airlift its citizens from the UAE and other countries began three days ago and is now in full swing. New Delhi hopes to deploy 64 flights in the first phase of operations and is calling it the largest such exercise in modern history. Pakistan’s effort began on April 18 and the country has airlifted more than 7,000 distressed citizens. It has gone like clockwork under very difficult circumstances with different agencies and countries working together to ensure those stranded are able to fly safely to be reunited with their loved ones. Unlike an airlift during a war, this repatriation comes during a phase in history when humans are fighting off a pathogen that may have entered their bodies. They may be carriers, yet may not know it. This enemy spares no one. All humans are equal before it. They stand exposed and vulnerable.

Nothing like this repatriation has ever been done before, and the hope is the world will never have to go through this torment ever again. This health crisis caused by the coronavirus has brought economic activity to a halt and stopped the world in its tracks. No one knows when this invasion will end but humans have united to help those stranded in distant lands, away from their families. This humanitarian airlift is more dangerous when one considers the rates of infection caused by the coronavirus, which is higher than any other viral strain. The mass spread makes travel a fearful experience. Global travel from China starting January took the pathogen across the world. The inside of an aircraft could be an ideal place for the virus to lurk undetected to the naked eye. Mass repatriations, therefore, pose a major risk. Countries, however, have shown the will and found a way to get their people home despite trying circumstances. Increased hygiene and maintaining a safe distance during flights have been challenges that passengers and crew are learning to fly with and surmount. Pilots and cabin crew donning hazmat suits that resemble space gear make the journey far from perfect. The joy of flight is lost but the destination is more important. Flyers and those who enable these journeys are warriors too. In these bleak times it is important to be grounded and keep the morale up. These words from Captain Anshul Sheoran to passengers on the first flight to India will give comfort and strength to millions of people who are stranded in the wilderness of life. “I know that your family, loved ones and even the whole country awaits our return eagerly. So let’s keep our morale high — we are going home!”