Good news for Kiwis in South India: MFAT posts an update about a private charter b/t Bengaluru and Christchurch tentatively on June 15, subject to necessary approvals (link in the story)

Finally, there is some good news for New Zealanders stuck in South India, who for months have been trying to find a way back home.

The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) has posted an update today afternoon about “a chartered aircraft will be travelling between India and New Zealand in mid-June”.

As per the update, on the question of “I am in South India - how can I get home?”, MFAT has said:

“We have become aware that a chartered aircraft will be travelling between India and New Zealand in mid-June. Full details are yet to be confirmed, but the flight is tentatively scheduled to depart from Bengaluru on 15 June and arrive in Christchurch on 16 June, subject to necessary regulatory approvals being obtained. The flight is being chartered by a private company, Capajet, and operated by Singapore Airlines. We understand that bookings will be managed by Flight Centre Australia.

We know that demand is high for the Air India flights to New Zealand and it is possible that additional social distancing measures may further restrict supply. The proposed Capajet flight may therefore provide a further opportunity for the repatriation of New Zealand citizens and their immediate family members. This is particularly the case for those in South India who do not have direct international connections available.

Please note that this will be a commercially operated flight, and is not organised by the New Zealand Government. We encourage those interested in purchasing tickets to familiarise themselves with the terms and conditions of the flight, as this will be a private commercial operation and the only contractual arrangement is between the passengers and the provider. The New Zealand Government will not be involved in ticket bookings or payments. For further information about this flight, please contact: nzflights@capajet.com

It is important to note that only those eligible to enter New Zealand under current border restrictions will be able to take the flight. If you completed our recent eligibility survey and received an email confirming that you are currently eligible to travel to New Zealand, this applies to you. If you have been advised that you are currently ineligible to travel to New Zealand, you will not be able to take this flight.

Alternatively, given some domestic flights are now operating in India, those located in South India and other locations can use domestic flights and other available transport options in order to connect to the international Air India flights, currently scheduled to depart from Delhi and Mumbai.”

The MFAT update, also has the following FAQs.

Q: Will I have to go through medical screening to get on to the flight?

A: As per Indian law, you will have to fill in the self-declaration health check form at the airport.

Q: I am pregnant. Can I fly?

A: Air India may ask you to produce a ‘fit to fly’ certificate from a medical professional. Please contact Air India for further details.

Q: How will I get from where I am staying to the airport?

A: You must organise your own transport to the airport, and this will be at your own cost. Your ticket should be sufficient evidence to enable you to travel to the airport. However, we recommend you call or visit your nearest police station or district authorities to check if additional approvals are required. If additional approvals are required, you are responsible for obtaining these approvals. This document [PDF, 224 KB] can provide a non-exhaustive list of potential ground transport providers from information that is publicly available. By providing this information we are not endorsing any ground transport company on the list and do not accept any responsibility for the quality of work performed by any company on the list or for the consequences of any of the services provided.

Q: What if my visa to India has expired or is about to expire?

A: You must have a valid Indian visa in order to depart India, or you must have applied for a visa extension through the FRRO (Indian Bureau of Immigration), in accordance with Government of India requirements. If you are in India on a temporary visa that has expired and have not yet applied for an extension, please visit the FRRO website (external link) to apply.

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Meanwhile, the above update was also sent today afternoon to New Zealand citizens who are located in South India.

The private company arranging the private charter, CapaJet, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) have been approached for comments. This story will be updated as soon as we receive their replies. *

*(Update: 1pm, June 7, 2020) We have now received replies from CapaJet and MFAT, which are posted below.

Fergus Forbes, Australia and New Zealand Sales Manager at CapaJet says, “In these difficult times, CapaJet has expanded and engaged its services in collaboration with different governments to run repatriation flights. After many months of being stuck abroad, we are pleased to be able to assist & partner with these humanitarian missions. We look forward to working with additional authorities and countries to expand our offerings as in this space and add additional routes. We will also be announcing a Mumbai-Sydney charter flight very soon.”

A spokesperson for MFAT says, “ The New Zealand Government is assisting New Zealand Citizens and their immediate families in India who wish to return to New Zealand. The New Zealand Government’s priority is working with the Government of India and Air India on repatriation flights to and from New Zealand, which remain subject to regulatory approval. New Zealand citizens in South India do not have direct international connections available through the proposed Air India flights, which are currently scheduled to depart from New Delhi and Mumbai. We have become aware that a chartered aircraft will be travelling between India and New Zealand in mid-June. Full details are yet to be confirmed, but the flight is tentatively scheduled to depart from Bengaluru on 15 June and arrive in Christchurch on 16 June, subject to necessary regulatory approvals being obtained. This will be a commercially operated flight, and is not organised by the New Zealand Government. We encourage those interested in purchasing tickets to familiarise themselves with the terms and conditions of the flight, as this will be a private commercial operation and the only contractual arrangement is between the passengers and the provider.”

-Gaurav Sharma