165 Americans evacuated from Hyderabad on two special flights

Hyderabad: Another two flights to US, RGIA handled two special flights to evacuate over 165 Americans from Hyderabad on Sunday.

Amidst the persisting global pandemic of COVID-19 and despite the preventive lock-down in India, the gateway airport like GMR led Hyderabad International Airport is seamlessly handling Coronavirus relief and evacuation flights facilitating the stranded foreign nationals in Hyderabad city take their relief flights back home beyond India’s borders.

Today, the Hyderabad International Airport handled two (02) Special Passenger Charter relief flights of the national carrier – Air India, which operated to evacuate 165 US nationals from Hyderabad city in Telangana.

As per the flight itinerary, the first special flight of Air India – AI 1615 (Arrivals) / AI 1616 (Departures), an airbus A 320 aircraft landed today, at Hyderabad International Airport at 2.13 PM from Mumbai and departed with 82 US-bound passengers (81 adults and 1 infant) at 3.15 PM to Mumbai. The second special flight of Air India – AI 1617 (Arrivals) / AI 1618 (Departures), an airbus A 320 aircraft landed today, at Hyderabad International Airport at 2.54 PM from Mumbai and departed with 83 US-bound passengers (82 adults and 1 infant) at 3.51 PM to Mumbai.

Both flights operated as domestic. Passengers were serviced from the main Passenger Terminal Building of GMR 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, the US-bound passengers started to reach Hyderabad International Airport between 12 and 2 PM from various parts of Hyderabad City. 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.

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 the safe and seamless departure of the passengers.

On 10th April 2020, GHIAL had handled 168 US nationals, who were evacuated by 2 special relief charter aircraft operated by the national carrier Air India, while on 7th April 2020, a group of 99 US-bound passengers was handled from Hyderabad Airport, who flew to Mumbai getting connected to the US by Delta Airlines.

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 handling the seamless operations of evacuation flights as per requirements, its cargo terminal is also fully operational to keep the vital link of essential supplies completely alive.

The cargo terminal 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 the critical chain of essential supplies rolling viz. Medicines, Vaccines, Medical equipment, Pharma raw material, Defense Goods, Bank related etc. without interruptions.

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