Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

3 more AI flights bring 1045 Indians from Libya

March 02, 2011 16:24 IST

A total of 1,045 Indians returned home in three batches from strife-torn Libya on Wednesday by Air India special flights.

The first special flight (AI-160), carrying 259 passengers, landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport at 1:45 am on Wednesday, an airport official said.

The second flight (AI-170), with 391 Indians on board arrived at 6 am while the third one (AI-180), carrying 395 passengers, landed at 6:45 am, the official said.

Three more planes left on Wednesday morning for Tripoli to airlift Indians who are still there. Air India has brought back 2,128 passengers from Libya so far.

The national carrier had brought back a total of 557 Indians in two batches on Tuesday from the strife-torn country.

While the first flight evacuated 291 Indians from Libya and brought them back here on Saturday night, another Air India plane carrying over 235 people landed in the wee hours of Sunday.

External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on Tuedsay spoke to his Libyan counterpart Musssa Kussa for his country's help in evacuating the trapped Indians after nearly 20 per cent of an estimated 18,000 Indians were pulled out of the strife-torn north African nation.

Some of the Indians have crossed over to Egypt while some others have left the country through sea route.

© Copyright 2024 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.