AI operating cargo flights to move medicines, medical equipment on Saturday

Mumbai, Mar 28 () National carrier Air India and its regional arm Alliance Air are operating a host of cargo charter flights -- mostly with medical equipment and medicines -- on several routes on Saturday, an Air India spokesperson said.

The flights are being operated with a mix of Boeing 787, A320 and regional jets ATRs, he said.

On Friday, a civil aviation ministry announced the setting up of an air cargo management group to move essential commodities across the country, which is lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Delhi-Mumbai-Delhi, Delhi-Imphal-Delhi, Delhi-Raipur-Bhubaneshwar-Delhi, Kolkata-Agartala-Kolkata and Mumbai-Pune-Raipur-Mumbai are the routes where these flighst are being operated, the spokesperson said.

Air India has deployed its flagship aircraft Boeing 787-8 (Dreamliner) for Delhi-Mumbai flights, and A320 for Imphal flights, he said, adding the rest of the routes are being operated with Tray Retrieval System (ATRS).

The country is under a 21-day lockdown from March 25 to curb the spread of the coronavirus and all domestic and international commercial passenger flights have been suspended for this period.

On Friday also, essential items especially medicine and ICMR kits were transported from Delhi to Aizawl, Dibrugarh, Kolkata and Hyderabad on Friday and another flight transported essential items from Mumbai to Pune, Bengaluru and Trivandrum the same day, a civil aviation ministry official had said earlier.

Besides, a third batch of air cargo carried essential items from Delhi to Pune and ICMR kits from Pune to Patna. IAS BALBAL