AI to operate special flight to Arrakonam from Hyderabad to ferry stranded passengers
The flight would bring back 130 passengers who have been evacuated from Chennai airport
New Delhi: Government-owned Air India on Thursday said it will operate a special flight to the Arrakonam Naval Air Station from Hyderabad to ferry the stranded passengers, who have been airlifted from Chennai airport by the IAF choppers.
The special flight AI- 564 was expected to take off from Hyderabad for Arrakonam Naval Air Station at around 1530 hours, an Air India spokesperson said.
With the Chennai airport closed till December 6 following heavy rains and flood, Air India had successfully landed an Airbus A320 carrying passengers from Hyderabad at the Rajali Naval Air Station at Arakkonam last evening.
Air India said that the special flight will carry 30 of its personnel onboard for logistics, adding the flight would bring back 130 passengers who have been evacuated from the Chennai airport by the IAF personnel.
Earlier in the day, the airline had managed to transport 60 stranded passengers by road to Thiruvananthapuram while 35 passengers were accommodated in an IAF flight from Thambaram airbase.