KOZHIKODE: The first flight from Riyadh in Saudi Arabia carrying expats arrived at Karipur airport here on Friday as part of the Vande Bharat mission amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

There were 84 pregnant women and 22 children in the special flight carrying 152 passengers. The AI 922 flight took off from Riyadh at 12.45 noon and reached Karippoor at 8 pm. The passengers were subjected to primary health checks before boarding the flight.

The returnees included 139 Keralites from 13 districts besides 10 persons from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. There were 20 Kozhikode natives among the passengers.

The returnees include people who went to the Gulf country on visit visa, those who lost their jobs and are returning on their final exit.

The passengers have not been subjected to rapid tests at the Riyadh airport.

The passengers will undergo thermal scanning at the aerobridge. After collecting personal information, they will undergo customs and emigration checks. Those showing health problems will be shifted to Manjeri and Kozhikode medical colleges, sources said.

Pregnant women, people older than 70 years of age, and children will be allowed to observe home quarantine. Others will be taken to the COVID-19 care centre.