Safety checks to samosas for students: How airlines are managing evacuation

IndiGo started its maiden service to Istanbul in March 2019, but a year later, the Covid-19 pandemic forced it to suspend the flights. Now the airline is flying to Istanbul again, albeit as a transit halt for the evacuation flights under Operation Ganga.

From carrying out safety assessments to setting up of temporary bases, airlines are taking elaborate steps to ensure quick and efficient passage to students fleeing Ukraine. While Air India is operating non-stop flights to Budapest and Bucharest, other airlines are operating one-stop flights due to limitations of narrow body Airbus and Boeing aircraft.

The Ministry of External