Barbados: Team India will finally fly from Barbados to Delhi in a special 'champions' Air India Boeing, which is expected to reach the national Capital around 6 AM IST on Thursday, July 4. The special charter flight, Boeing 777-232. (LR), has been named AIC24WC — Air India Cricket 24 World Champions.
It took off from the Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey on July 2 and is expected to touch down at Barbados at 2.03 am local time. It will take a 16-hour flying time to reach Delhi.
The special charter for the T20 World Cup winners, the BCCI officials and the accompanying Indian media was arranged on account of the ceaseless efforts of Board secretary Jay Shah who took the initiative to help the stranded contingent get home at the earliest.
A ground staff member at the Grantley Adams airport said she had never seen such a big plane land here. The Indian team will be taking this Boeing 777 to Delhi in the Wee hours.
Thanks to a complete hurricane shutdown of Barbados, including the airport, the victorious Indian team is yet to return to the much-awaited home celebrations and a salutary meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, despite winning the trophy three days ago.
Hurricane Beryl led to large-scale cancellations of flights leaving the fans, tourists and the Indian contingent at sea. The team has waited patiently for the airport to reopen even as Jay Shah worked overtime to get things in place for the big return.
The team, expected to arrive in Delhi in the morning of July 4, is scheduled to meet PM Modi the next day before proceeding to their personal destinations in Mumbai and elsewhere. The grand celebrations for bringing home the Cup will begin thereafter.
