The first repatriation flight from India carrying more than 70 people has touched down in Australia after the government's controversial travel ban ended.

The controversial ban expired at midnight on Friday.
The plane landed in Darwin on Saturday morning after picking up vulnerable passengers from New Delhi. However, 72 passengers were barred from flying after 48 tested positive for Covid-19 and others were deemed close contacts.
The 80 passengers are the first people to enter Australia from India since the federal government made it a criminal offence to do so at the end of April in response to the surging coronavirus crisis in India.
The plane carrying approximately 80 Australian returned travelers who were stranded in India.
Initially, the flight was scheduled to carry 150 travellers, just over half of those booked were cleared to board the plane.
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), those who test positive for novel coronavirus, or were deemed close contacts, have to remain in India until they return a negative test while those that were able to board, will quarantine for 14 days at the Howard Springs facility outside of Darwin.
Since March 2020, Australians have been barred from travelling overseas and nearly, 10,000 Australians and their immediate family members in India are seeking to return home.
In India hundreds of thousands of new coronavirus cases are being detected every day, and the death toll is soaring.

Most animals on this island nation are found nowhere else on Earth. And now they’re vanishing.
- 19 hours ago
Pakistan, Romania agree to address aerial defence challenges
- 6 hours ago

Gold prices fall thousands in value in Pakistan
- 10 hours ago
.jpeg&w=3840&q=75)
Pakistan acts as a global shield against terrorism
- 9 hours ago

Bulls' White (calf) to miss at least 2 more weeks
- 20 hours ago

There should be no war with Pakistan, issues can be resolved through trade, Trump tells Modi
- 14 hours ago

Why many transgender Americans are preparing to flee the country
- 19 hours ago
18th Chief of the Naval Staff Amateur Golf Cup 2025 commences in Islamabad
- 9 hours ago
Six terrorists of Fitna al-Hindustan neutralised in Balochistan's Dalbandin
- 6 hours ago
Pakistan consolidating macroeconomic stability, aims 3.5pc growth despite floods: FinMin
- 10 hours ago

5.3 magnitude earthquake rocks Islamabad, parts of KP and Punjab
- a day ago
PNS Yarmook seizes narcotics worth $972m
- 11 hours ago