Hyderabad, April 12 (IANS) As many as 165 more US nationals stranded in Hyderabad were airlifted by two flights of Air India from Rajiv Gandhi International Airport on Sunday. With this, a total of 432 US nationals were airlifted from Hyderabad by five flights since April 7. The national carrier operated two flights to Mumbai on Sunday to evacuate the US-bound passengers. According to GMR-led Airport, an Airbus A 320 aircraft landed at 2.13 p.m. and took off with 82 US-bound passengers (81 adults and one infant) at 3.15 p.m. The second special flight landed at 2.54 p.m. and departed with 83 US-bound passengers (82 adults and 1 infant) at 3.51 p.m. Both the flights operated as domestic. Passengers were serviced from the main Passenger Terminal Building. 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 government, the passengers reached Hyderabad Airport from various parts of Hyderabad. All these passengers were serviced through the fully-sanitized main passenger terminal building, which has been kept ready for evacuation operations. On April 10, Hyderabad Airport handled 168 US nationals, who were evacuated by two special relief charter aircraft operated by Air India, while on April 7, a group of 99 US bound passengers were handled. All the passengers were taken to Mumbai from where they boarded Delta Airlines flights to their respective destinations in the US. Earlier, on March 31, a group of 38 German nationals flew from Hyderabad by a special flight of Air India which ferried the passengers from Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai to Frankfurt. The Hyderabad Airport also 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.
165 more US nationals airlifted from Hyderabad to Mumbai
A special relief flight of Air India airlifted 99 US citizens stuck, in Hyderabad on Apr 7, 2020. The flight, which took off from Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA), carried the US citizens to Mumbai, from where they will 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 one infant US-bound passengers arrived at the airport from various parts of Hyderabad. All these passengers were serviced through the fully-sanitized main passenger terminal building, which has been kept ready for evacuation operations. 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.The airport, shut for regular commercial operations from March 22, has so far handled three evacuation flights. (Photo: IANS)
