New Delhi: Private Indian airlines IndiGo and SpiceJet have joined the efforts against coronavirus and are using their aircraft to transport medical and food supplies across the country.
Due to the nationwide lockdown imposed on 24 March, all international and domestic flights have been suspended for now.
IndiGo was authorised to operate 30 relief flights at its own cost Tuesday. The government allowed the airline to carry cargo, food, medicine and medical equipment while following all the precautionary measures.
“We know how critical it is for health workers in every corner of the country to get immediate access to medical supplies, and we are grateful to be allowed to play a role, however modest, in this supply chain,” Ronojoy Dutta, Chief Executive Officer of IndiGo, said in a statement.
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Ferrying cargo as part of Lifeline Udan
SpiceJet operated the country’s first “cargo-on-seat” flight Tuesday, carrying medical and healthcare supplies on the Delhi-Chennai-Surat-Chennai-Mumbai-Delhi route. The government, as part of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s Lifeline Udan initiative, had allowed passenger planes to ferry cargo on 1 April.
“Special seat covers made from flame-proof material were used and the cargo was secured with restraints. To ensure optimum utilisation of space, the overhead bin was also used (besides the aircraft belly),” SpiceJet Chairman Ajay Singh said.
SpiceJet’s cargo division SpiceXpress has also been ferrying essential cargo such as surgical supplies, face masks, medicines and medical equipment across cities. It also transported the much-needed personal protective equipment (PPE) and other essentials from Mumbai to Delhi Monday.
Reaffirming our commitment to helping the Government to the best of our ability in this battle against #COVID19, SpiceXpress flight SG7105 carried Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), medical consumables & other essentials from Mumbai to Delhi today! @drharshvardhan @AjaySingh_SG pic.twitter.com/XEM1vV1jcN
— SpiceJet (@flyspicejet) April 7, 2020
Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri praised private airline operators for their contribution to Lifeline Udan. “The way they have transported critical medical & other essential supplies across the country is very commendable. These flights of hope have lent strength to India’s fight,” he said.
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Air India gets support
Prior to this, only Air India was involved in relief efforts and had evacuated Indian citizens and also foreign nationals from several countries. In the past couple of weeks, the national carrier has brought back stranded Indians from China, Italy, Spain and Iran.
Dutta saluted Air India, in his statement, for the “heroic work they have been doing in evacuating Indians and other nationals stranded in foreign countries. It makes us all proud to see aviation professionals stepping forward to respond to the critical humanitarian need of the hour”.
Air India took to Twitter to express gratitude in return.
#FlyAI : Thank you Sir, for your gesture of acknowledging our efforts. Your words have touched the hearts of every Air Indian working tirelessly. Its
heartening to see the entire aviation family serving the Nation together in this time of crisis. @IndiGo6E pic.twitter.com/Bw25d3620G
— Air India (@airindiain) April 7, 2020
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