Delhi airport handled over 1,300 evacuation, cargo flights from Mar 25 to May 4

The Delhi airport has handled over 300 evacuation flights for approximately 30,000 passengers and around 1,000 cargo flights from the beginning of the coronavirus-induced lockdown on March 25 to May 4, its operator DIAL said on Wednesday. A total of 44 countries like the USA, Britain, Germany, Japan and Norway operated flights to evacuate their stranded citizens from India, it said.

"Till May 4, 2020, it (Delhi airport) handled around 1,000 cargo (scheduled and non-scheduled) and over 310 evacuation (arrival and departure) flight movements -- both domestic and international," the Delhi Airport International Limited (DIAL) said in a statement.

"Around 27,500 foreign nationals and 2,300 Indians were evacuated during this period (March 25-May 4). Also, the airport handled the movement of over 12,600 metric tonnes of import and export cargo, including COVID-19 related medical essentials and fresh vegetables," it said.

The GMR Group-led DIAL said, "Even before the lockdown, Delhi airport handled more than 20 special evacuation flights operated by several COVID-hit countries." India has been under lockdown since March 25 to curb the spread of COVID-19. All scheduled commercial passenger flights have been suspended during the lockdown. However, cargo flights and special flights approved by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation are allowed to operate. So far, 49,391 people have been infected and 1,694 killed by coronavirus in India.