RGIA on national duty to handle the COVID-19 evacuation flights

GMR-led Hyderabad International Airport is handling COVID-19 relief and evacuation flights in support of the nation’s efforts. Special relief flight of Air India on Tuesday airlifted the US citizens who were stranded in Hyderabad.

Hyderabad: At a time when coronavirus pandemic has brought the world down to its knees and the country has gone under complete lock-down; GMR led Hyderabad International Airport is handling COVID-19 relief and evacuation flights in support of the nation’s efforts .

Today, the airport handled a Special Passenger Charter flight of the national carrier - Air India to evacuate a few US nationals stranded in the state.

As per the flight itinerary, the special flight of Air India - AI 1617(Arrival)/AI 1618 (Departure), an airbus A 320 aircraft landed at Hyderabad International Airport today at 3:12 PM from Mumbai and departed with the US-bound passengers at 4.15 PM to Mumbai.

The flight was a purely domestic and operated from the main Passenger Terminal Building of Hyderabad International Airport. As per the flight itinerary, the passengers were to be further connected with Delta Airlines from Mumbai to their final destination in the US.

In coordination with the US Consulate and the Telangana State government, a group of 98 adults and 1 infant US-bound passengers arrived at the airport at around 1 PM from various part of Hyderabad City.

All these passengers were serviced through the fully-sanitized main passenger terminal building, which has been kept ready for evacuation operations.

To meet this emergency requirement, a select group of personnel from GHIAL Terminal Operations, Airside Operations, AOCC (Airport Operations & Control Center), ATC (Air Traffic Control), IT Team, CISF (Central Industrial Security Force), Landside Security, Airline Ground Handlers, ARFF (Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting) services, RAXA security, Trolley Operators, Housekeeping Staff, among others were available to ensure safe and seamless departure of the passengers.

Special screening and safety measures were in place during the flight’s handling to protect against the COVID-19 threat including thermal screening prior to terminal entry, mandatory social distancing enforced through special queuing arrangements at all passenger processing points.

On 31st March, 2020, GHIAL had handled a group of 38 German Nationals who flew by a special flight of Air India which ferried the passengers from Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai to Frankfurt. On 28th March, 2020, GHIAL serviced a special Medical Evacuation Flight of IndiGo, which dropped its 8 crew members bound for Hyderabad and departed to Chennai with 5 stranded IndiGo crew members.

While RGIA is keeping the evacuation flights operating seamlessly as per requirements, its cargo terminal is also fully operational to keep the vital link of essential supplies completely alive.

The cargo is working round the clock in close coordination with the Customs, Ground Handlers, Forwarders, CHAs (Customs House Agents), Regulators, State Police, Cargo Trade associations, to keep rolling the critical chain of essential supplies viz. Medicines, Vaccines, Medical equipment, Pharma raw material, Defense Goods, Bank related etc. seamlessly.