new Delhi: 31 evacuation flights will be operated to neighboring countries of war-torn Ukraine and over 6,300 Indians stranded in the Eastern European nation will be brought back. Official sources gave this information. These flights are ‘Air India’, ‘Air India Express’, under the operation ‘Operation Ganga’ being run by India to bring back Indians from Ukraine badly affected by Russia’s attack. ‘Indigo’, ‘Spijet’ and will be operated by the Indian Air Force.
Sources said that from March 2, 21 aircraft from Romanian capital Bucharest and four from Hungarian capital Budapest will return with Indian nationals. Four flights will be operated to bring back Indians from Poland’s Czew and one from Koscice in Slovakia. Indian Air Force will bring back Indians from Bucharest. He said that a total of 31 flights will be operated between March 2 and March 8, in which more than 6300 Indians will be brought back to the country.
Sources said on Wednesday that ‘Air India Express’ and ‘SpiceJet’ aircraft have a seating capacity of about 180 people, while ‘Air India’ and ‘Indigo’ aircraft can carry 250 and 216 passengers respectively. ‘Air India Express’ will operate a total of seven flights, ‘SpiceJet’ four, ‘Indigo’ 12 and ‘Air India’ four. Air India Express and Air India aircraft will operate from Bucharest, while Indigo will operate four flights from Bucharest, Budapest and Zezaw.
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SpiceJet will operate two flights from Bucharest, one from Budapest and one from Kosice in Slovakia. Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on Wednesday that under ‘Operation Ganga’, six flights were operated in the last 24 hours. Jaishankar tweeted on Wednesday morning, “Information regarding Operation Ganga. Six flights have left for India in the last 24 hours. These include the first flight that departed from Poland.
Over 1,377 Indians stranded in Ukraine were on board. Foreign Secretary Harshvardhan Shringla had told on Tuesday night that about two thousand Indian citizens have reached their homes safely so far, while preparations are on to bring back four to five thousand Indians. After Russia invaded Ukraine, India launched an evacuation operation from February 26 to rescue around 14,000 of its civilians trapped in the war-torn country. (agency)