Sigh Of Relief

Groups of Indians return after being evacuated from virus-hit nations of Iran, Italy and France

- Pankaj Upadhyay and Dev Ankur Wadhawan

The happiness on the faces of those boarding Air India flight AI-142 from Paris to New Delhi was understandable. After all, it's sheer luck to finally return home at a time when there is no surety of flight operations and airlines across the world are either cancelling their operations within suffocating short notice or charging over the moon.

International carrier Lufthansa cancelled its Munich-Mumbai flight on March 14 amid the growing threat of the coronavirus pandemic. Lufthansa informed of the cancellations only on the night of March 12. The passengers who had booked tickets for the Lufthansa flight LH-766 to ParisMunich-Mumbai were left in the lurch with the sudden announcement.

Air France flight from Paris to Mumbai on Saturday was priced at over Rs 1,60,000. Clearly, Indians who were desperate to return had to undergo a tough time. Had it not been for the national carrier Air India things would have become really challenging for most Indians stuck in Paris.

Talking to India Today TV, Seema (name changed) who booked Air India when Lufthansa cancelled said, "I think I was lucky enough to have got the ticket for Rs 30,000. I was getting really nervous as my parents were worried about my well being."