Wing Commander Raveendran and flight steward Sargeant Iyer, though shaken and injured, managed to open the rear door of the aircraft and shouted for Prime Minister Morarji Desai and the passengers in the forward cabin to exit in haste since they suspected that fire would engulf the aircraft.
When the IAF veterans' bail petition came up for hearing, in an unprecedented move, senior serving and retired Air Marshals and Air Vice Marshals rallied behind the accused officers and appeared before the court to give sureties for each, something that has never happened ever before.
The Indian Air Force is planning to procure more Embraer business jets for its Delhi-based communication Squadron for ferrying VIPs.
The cost of the five Embraers ordered in September 2003 by the then National Democratic Alliance government and endorsed recently by the ruling United Progressive Alliance is about 75000 million rupees
Brazilian aircraft maker Embraer on Friday said it has signed an agreement with the Indian government for the sale of five 'Legacy' executive jets for VVIP use.
The PM flew to Moscow on one aircraft, then to Kabul and Lahore on another.
The government is also planning to replace the current ageing Air India One or Boeing 747 with Boeing 777s. Arup Roychoudhury and Archis Mohan report.
'We airlifted army personnel wearing lungis to generally unused landing grounds.' 'We were told to keep quiet about what we did or saw.'
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