Exclusive: Qantas is in talks with the federal government about emergency flights to pick up Australians stranded in India | Gallo_Ways
An email sent to Australians in India by the high commission said evacuation planning had been complicated by the cost of flights and the fact some airlines, such as Air India, had indicated they couldn't conduct repatriation flights to Australia.As you know the Australian government's policy precludes assisted departures," the email says.
The high commission said it was also working with other countries that had chartered flights to see if there was room for Australians, "in particular if they are returning to hubs that allow a connection back to Australia". India's lockdown is due to end on April 15 and some airlines have begun taking bookings for flights from that date but it is unclear whether the restrictions will be extended.
Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong said ruling out assisted departures during a pandemic was "untenable", accusing the government of slowing and complicating the process by sending out surveys. "I'm not aware of any other country sending surveys to their citizens asking them to put a price on their safety," she said. "Consular officers are clearly working hard with what they have got. What is missing is the political will from the Australian government to prioritise the safety of Australians who have been stranded overseas through no fault of their own, as the rules changed and commercial flights dried up virtually overnight.
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