Stuck For 54 Days At Delhi Airport, This German National Reminds Us Of Tom Hank's Role From 'The Terminal'

The German national, Edgard Ziebat, left on an early morning flight on Tuesday to Amsterdam after testing negative for Covid-19.

New Delhi: A German national had been living in the international transit area at the Delhi airport for almost 54 days after he was stranded due to the nationwide lockdown imposed due to Covid-19 outbreak. Edgard Ziebat left for Amsterdam on Tuesday. According to sources of news agency ANI, the German national left on an early morning on a flight to Amsterdam after testing negative for COVID-19 before boarding. The unique situation of the German national does remind us of the famous Tom Hank’s character in Steven Spielberg's  The Terminal where he got stuck in New York’s JFK Airport after the passport becomes invalid as a result of civil war. The actor was forced to stay put inside the airport’s transit lounge, but the German national in question is stranded since he is alleged to have a criminal record as per the ANI report. In fact, the authorities at the airport had made adequate arrangements for the German national Edgard Ziebat stranded at the airport. However, an investigation had been made initiated against the man. Ziebat was carrying visas for several countries and aviation security was keeping a close watch on him through CCTV. He is supposed to have entered India from Vietnam on March 18 by Vietjet airline and was slated to take the connecting flight to Istanbul in Turkey. He told the authorities that flights were not available because commercial flights were suspended due to the Covi-19 outbreak. The airport authority had informed the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) India and the Germany embassy about the foreign national. It was then that the 40-year-old German national was persuaded to board a special flight to Germany operated under the German Embassy in Delhi, but both embassies and airlines declined to take him on board. Not just German, but Turkish airline also refused to take him on board in the absence of Turkish passport. An official informed the news agency ANI that the person being in the international transit zone, the Indian Penal Code (IPC) does not apply irrespective of whether a person is involved in any crime. [tw] It is interesting that the person wanted to travel anywhere except for Germany. He was willing to wait until the flight resumes. It was revealed later during interrogation that the German citizen had been involved in a number of crimes in his country and was scared if he got arrested, according to ANI. The German national had been provided all basic amenities including foods, clothes, toiletries items, and a recliner for sleeping to the German national.