Air India, Alliance Air ferrying medical supplies: Govt

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) is coordinating with state Governments for supply of medical equipment and related essential items needed for protection against and testing of COVID-19. Air India and Alliance Air flights are being operated to carry out the necessary supply operations across the country.

New Delhi:Centre on Monday said that it has pressed Air India and its subsidiary Alliance Air into providing cargo services to ferry medical supplies to different parts of the country.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) is coordinating with state Governments for the supply of medical equipment and related essential items needed for protection against and testing of COVID-19.

"Based on requirements received from various states on an urgent basis, the senior officials of the Ministry coordinate with supply agencies for providing required material which can be further transported to the desired destinations," MoCA said in a statement.

"Air India and Alliance Air flights are being operated to carry out the necessary supply operations across the country."

In order to cater to eastern and northeastern parts of the country, an Alliance Air flight from Delhi to Kolkata carried shipments for Kolkata, Guwahati, Dibrugarh and Agartala on March 29, 2020.

In the northern region, IAF flight from Delhi to Chandigarh to Leh carried ICMR VTM kits and other essential cargo.

"The information sharing, answering of queries and the work at the ground is going on round the clock for delivering the supplies to the destinations in a timely manner so the efforts to fight the COVID-19 are multiplied and supplemented, the statement said.

At present, no domestic or international passenger flight operations are allowed.

However, cargo operations Have been permitted to continue.

(IANS REPORT)