More than 300 Indians stranded by the coronavirus lockdown have arrived home on flights from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Passengers arrived in Kerala state on two flights from Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and went into quarantine, BBC reported.

India suspended all international travel in March before it went into lockdown to curb Covid-19 infections.

Nearly 15,000 Indians are expected to return on special Air India flights from 12 countries over the next week.

Passengers have to pay their own fares. They are being tested before boarding flights.

Since it closed its borders, India has operated a few flights to bring back Indian citizens. But the latest exercise, which has been dubbed the Vande Bharath (Hail India) mission, is the most organised effort so far.

Eventually, about 200,000 Indians will be brought back, report local media.

Air India, the country’s national airline, will carry out the mission and fly planes to the US, the UK, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Qatar and Malaysia, among other countries.

Details issued by the government said each flight would carry 200 to 250 passengers.