German stranded at Delhi airport for 55 days leaves for home

A German national who was stranded at the transit area of Delhi airport for the last 55 days due to the lockdown, left for Amsterdam on Tuesday.

According to sources, Edgard Ziebat left on an early morning KLM flight to Amsterdam after testing negative for COVID-19 before boarding.

Ziebat had been living in the international transit area at the Indira Gandhi International airport in New Delhi for almost 54 days after he got stuck due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown.

The authorities concerned had made appropriate arrangements for the foreign national living at the airport and had also initiated an investigation against him.

During the interrogation, Ziebat had said that he came from Vietnam on March 18 by Vietjet airline and had a connecting flight to Istanbul in Turkey.

But there were no flights available for Istanbul as India had suspended all commercial flight services due to COVID-19, he told the authorities.

Later on, the airport authorities had also asked the 40-year-old German national to board a special flight to Germany, which was operated under the Germany embassy in Delhi, but neither the embassy nor the airlines agreed to take him on board.

Turkish Airline also refused to take him on board because he was not carrying a Turkish passport.

Airport operator DIAL had provided all basic amenities including foods, clothes, toiletries items and a recliner for sleeping to the German national.