The Government has spent more than $6 million bringing home New Zealanders who were stranded overseas at the start of the pandemic. The total cost of the repatriation flights would be offset by those passenger contributions, MFAT said in its response to an Official Information Act request. Last year, the government chartered three flights to bring people home from India. There have been growing calls for the Government to organise more flights from India, as Covid-19 infection rates soar and the health system there is overwhelmed. Commercial flights out of India have been cancelled or heavily restricted, causing headaches for people trying to flee.

Source: Stuff May 09, 2021 07:07 UTC