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UK announces 17 more flights to bring back 4,000 passengers from India

The UK government has announced 17 more charter flights to bring back British citizens stranded in India.

The flights, with a total capacity of about 4,000 passengers, will operate from key cities across India.


The Foreign Office said the "most vulnerable" and those "already on waitlists" will be given priority for the seats priced between £537 and £591.

The flights have been scheduled as follows:

  • From Ahmedabad to London on 20, 22, 24, 26 April;
  • From Amritsar to London on 21, 23, 25 and 27 April;
  • From Bengaluru (via Ahmedabad) to London on 23 April;
  • From Delhi to London on 21, 23, 25 and 27 April;
  • From Goa to London on 20, 22 and 24 April;
  • From Mumbai to London on 26 April.

The Foreign Office’s Minister of State for South Asia and the Commonwealth, Lord Tariq Ahmad, thanked the Indian government and state authorities with a "Danyawad " for their "continued cooperation".

"We know this is a difficult time for British travellers and there is great demand for these flights," he said in a statement.

"This is a huge and logistically-complex operation, and we are working tirelessly with the Indian Government and state authorities to help more British travellers get home."

With the operations, the the total number of chartered flight from India will be 38, said the Foreign Office.

The 21 charter flights that had been announced earlier (April 8 to 20), were expected bring back over 5,000 British nationals.

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  • Beef price inflation hits 27 per cent while pork remains fraction of the cost at £20/kg vs £80/kg.
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  • Chicken and pork mince volumes surge 65.6 per cent and 36.6 per cent respectively as cheaper protein alternatives.
British shoppers are increasingly swapping beef for pork in dishes like spaghetti bolognese as beef prices continue their steep climb, new retail data reveals. The latest official figures show beef price inflation running at 27 per cent, prompting consumers to seek more affordable alternatives.
Waitrose's annual food and drink report indicates customers are now buying pork cuts typically associated with beef, including T-bone steaks, rib-eye cuts and short ribs.

The cost difference is substantial. Pork fillet costs approximately £20 per kilogram, while beef sells for £80 per kilogram or more, according to Matthew Penfold, senior buyer at Waitrose. He describes pork as making a "massive comeback but in a premium way".

The supermarket has recorded notable changes in shopping patterns, with recipe searches for "lasagne with pork mince" doubling on its website and "pulled pork nachos" searches rising 45 per cent. Sales of pork mince have increased 16 per cent compared to last year as home cooks modify family favourites.

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