About 40 Australians due to leave India on the first repatriation flight in two weeks have tested positive to COVID-19.

Close contacts of people who tested positive will also be unable to fly, which means a total of 70 people can no longer fly home.

There were 150 Australians booked on the flight from New Delhi.

Chris O’Keefe, Nine News Reporter, told 4BC Drive DFAT is trying to get other passengers on the evacuation flight who are on the waiting list.

“Because of the testing requirements, double negative, it takes a little bit of time,” he said.

“We may only get a half-full flight back to Darwin.”

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