One of the leading establishments in oil and gas sector, Qatar Engineering & Construction Company (Qcon), will send back 3,000 to 4,000 temporary workers on chartered flights to India.
A total of four flights with 177 passengers each, operated by Qatar Airways, will depart from the Hamad International Airport (HIA) to Kochi, Ahmadabad, Mumbai and Madurai on Friday.
The first of these flights will leave for Kochi at 2.30 am on Friday.This is for the first time an establishment in private sector offers chartered flights to its workers to travel home amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking to Qatar Tribune, a senior official at Qcon said, “We have requested authorities concerned to operate 12 more flights to India to repatriate our Indian workers who were brought for shutdown jobs. The repatriation drive that begins on Friday will continue.”
Qcon has over 10,000 workers, including 3,000 to 4,000 temporary workers. 
“Sending them back is our responsibility. When approached, the Qatar Airways and the Indian Embassy in Doha took immediate steps to complete the formalities to send the workers back. All COVID-19 medical protocols will be maintained while flying them out,” the official said.
Many industrial contracting establishments that recruited skilled workers from abroad for short time job has also taken initiatives to arrange ‘chartered flights’ to send back their employees to their home country.
Most of the reputed industrial establishments have considerable number of skilled workers on short-term contract. These workers are recruited on a temporary basis to meet urgent requirements.