175 Kannadigas reach Mangalore from Saudi Arabia in chartered flight

Kannadigas who were stuck in Saudi Arabia due to lockdown came back to India on Thursday in a chartered flight. Directors of Saco Company, Altaf Ullal and Basheer Sagar, who are in Dammam, had made all the arrangements for the safe return of these passengers.

Mangalore: As many as 175 Kannadigas who were stuck in Saudi Arabia due to lockdown returned to India in a chartered flight on Thursday.

The flight which left Dammam at 6:20 pm local time reached here at 1:15 am IST on Thursday.

Directors of Saco Company, Altaf Ullal and Basheer Sagar, who are in Dammam, had made all the arrangements for the safe return of these passengers.

Altaf Ullal told that the flight was hired exclusively to help Kannadigas in distress. He also informed that none of his company's staff or relatives were among the passengers.

The company had set up a help desk to finalise a list of passengers wanting to go back. Preference was given to pregnant ladies, senior citizens who were held up after coming here in visiting visas and those requiring urgent medical aid.

Altaf and Basheer said that the members of their team personally oversaw all arrangements including providing wheelchairs to 30 passengers.