The Covid Explosion on a Flight From Italy

By Richa On Oct 1, 2026

In the first week of January 2022, two planes landed in Amritsar with shocking test results. Most passengers on a Covid flight from Italy tested positive on arrival. A day or two later, a second flight did the same. India was then at the start of its Omicron wave, so the news spread fast.

This article tells what happened, in order. It also covers the doubts that came up about the test results, the rules for travellers at the time, and simple lessons for anyone who flies. It is written as a record of past events. It is not current travel advice.

Table of Contents

What Happened in January 2022

Both flights were charters from Italy to Amritsar in Punjab. A charter is a private flight hired for a group, not a regular airline service. Amritsar had a large number of such charter flights to Italy during the pandemic.

Officials and news reports gave these details.

Detail	Milan flight	Rome flight
Landed	5 January 2022 (some reports say 6 January)	7 January 2022
Passengers on board	179 (one report says 170)	285
Children exempt from testing	19	Children not tested
Tested on arrival	160	210
Positive	125	173

Both were run by EuroAtlantic Airways, a Portuguese charter company. Early reports said the first flight was an Air India flight. The airline denied this, and later reports named EuroAtlantic. The Milan flight also made a technical stop in Tbilisi in Georgia.

The Milan flight

On the Milan flight, 125 of the 160 people tested were positive. The other 35 tested negative and were told to watch their health. The positive passengers were sent to institutional quarantine. That means a hospital or a government facility, not home.

Ambulances lined up outside the airport, and crowds gathered at the gates. Many passengers were angry. They said they had tested negative before boarding in Italy.

The Rome flight

The next day a second flight came from Rome. Of 285 passengers, 210 were tested, since children were exempt. As many as 173 were positive. That was a positivity rate of roughly 82% among those tested. The BBC reported that the passengers with Covid were sent for institutional quarantine in their home districts.

Passengers Who Escaped Quarantine

The story took a strange turn after the Milan flight. At least 13 positive passengers ran away. Nine left from the airport, and four left the hospital. The BBC quoted local officials, who said that police would file complaints against them.

The Deputy Commissioner of Amritsar warned that if the passengers did not return, their photos would be published in newspapers and cases would be registered. Police also began steps to cancel their passports, the BBC reported.

Running from quarantine is a serious matter. A person with Covid can pass the virus to others. That is why the authorities reacted so strongly.

Were the Test Results Reliable?

The high numbers raised doubts almost at once. On 11 January 2022, the BBC reported that officials were investigating the private lab that had tested the passengers. The lab was SpiceHealth. It had been hired by the Airports Authority of India on 15 December to test travellers from high-risk countries.

Here is what the report said:

Thirty passengers were tested again at the airport. Only three were positive the second time.
The Amritsar airport director said the airport had stopped using the lab’s services for now.
A civil surgeon said early checks suggested the controls on the machines were not working properly.
The lab said it followed the technology and protocols set by the airport and the manufacturer, and that it would run a detailed technical check.

So there are two things to keep in mind. The headline counts were real as reported that day. But the tests were later questioned, and the retest of 30 people gave very different results. I did not find a final public report that settles the matter. Treat the “explosion” label with care.

Why India Was Testing Passengers

The World Health Organization named Omicron a variant of concern on 26 November 2021. South Africa had reported it to the WHO two days before. Many countries tightened border rules after that.

India placed countries in an “at risk” group. This list included European countries, and Italy fell under it. Travellers from such countries had to follow extra steps on arrival.

The rules were revised on 7 January 2022, the same day as the Rome flight, and took effect from 11 January. For at-risk countries, they said:

Give a sample for an RT-PCR test on arrival, at your own cost.
Wait at the airport for the result before leaving or taking a connecting flight.
If negative, do home quarantine for 7 days.
Take another RT-PCR test on day 8 and upload the result on the Air Suvidha portal.
If that is negative, watch your health for another 7 days.

A positive traveller was isolated and treated under the standard rules. Samples could also be sent for genome testing. Children under 5 were exempt from testing, unless they had symptoms.

Every traveller also had to fill a self-declaration form and upload a negative RT-PCR report before boarding. Airlines were told to check this.

Key Dates in Order

26 November 2021: the WHO names Omicron a variant of concern.
15 December 2021: the Airports Authority of India hires a private lab to test arrivals from high-risk countries at Amritsar.
5 or 6 January 2022: the Milan flight lands, and 125 passengers test positive. The BBC says Wednesday, 5 January. Some Indian reports say Thursday.
7 January 2022: the Rome flight lands, with 173 positives. India revises its rules for international arrivals.
11 January 2022: the BBC reports the lab is under investigation. The new rules take effect.

The Wider Picture at That Time

The flights landed in a busy week. India reported more than 90,000 new Covid cases on 6 January and over 100,000 on 7 January, according to the BBC. Experts believed Omicron was behind the sharp rise. Italy hit a record of nearly 220,000 cases on 6 January.

In Punjab, a temporary night curfew was imposed on 4 January, and schools and colleges were shut. Other states brought back curbs too.

So the two flights became a symbol. They showed how fast the variant was moving between countries. They also showed how tricky testing can be at busy airports.

Lessons for Travellers

You do not need to fear flying. But a few habits still make sense during any outbreak.

Check the rules before you book. Entry rules can change within days. Look at the official health ministry or airline pages for your route.
Keep your papers ready. Vaccine proof, test reports and forms should be easy to find. Our guide to downloading the Covid vaccine certificate from CoWIN shows how to get yours.
Carry the basics. Read our list of important documents for international travel.
Wear a good mask in crowded airports and cabins if you are unwell, elderly, or at higher risk.
Test if you have symptoms. A test is more useful than a guess.
Follow quarantine rules. It protects your family and your neighbours.

To learn about the illness itself, read our explainer on what coronavirus is, with its types, causes and symptoms. If you fly often, our list of domestic and international airports in India may also help.

Health Caution

This article is general information. It is not medical advice. If you have fever, cough, breathlessness or loss of smell after travel, get tested and call a doctor. Follow the advice of your local health department. Older people, pregnant women and people with long-term illness should ask a doctor before travelling during an outbreak.

How the Pandemic Phase Ended

Covid did not vanish in 2022, but the emergency phase did end. On 5 May 2023, the WHO said that Covid-19 no longer counted as a public health emergency of international concern. It added that the virus remained a health issue that needed attention. Most travel rules were dropped by then.

FAQs About the Covid Flight from Italy

What was the Covid flight from Italy?

It refers to two charter flights that landed in Amritsar in January 2022. One came from Milan and one from Rome. Many passengers tested positive on arrival.

How many passengers tested positive?

Reports said 125 of 160 tested passengers on the Milan flight and 173 of 210 on the Rome flight tested positive.

Were the test results correct?

They were questioned. The BBC reported that only 3 of 30 passengers tested again were positive. The lab was under investigation. I could not find a final public result.

Which airline ran the flights?

Reports named EuroAtlantic Airways, a Portuguese charter operator. Early claims that it was an Air India flight were denied by that airline.

What happened to the passengers who ran away?

At least 13 left quarantine. Police said they would file complaints, and the BBC reported steps to cancel passports.

Final Thoughts

The Amritsar flights showed how one wave can hit an airport in a single afternoon. They also showed why testing must be careful and open. Numbers can shock, and they can also mislead. For travellers, the calm approach is best: know the rules, keep your papers, and stay home when you are sick.