Under Ministry of Civil Aviation's Lifeline Udan initiative, 74 flights have operated till date for transporting essential medical supplies across the country amid coronavirus lockdown. A total of 37.63 tonnes of cargo has been transported, out of which more than 22 tonnes was transported on March 31.
"The Lifeline Udan cargo includes COVID-19 related reagents, enzymes, medical equipment, testing kits, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), masks, gloves and other accessories required by the coronavirus warriors across the country," an official statement stated.
The carriers involved in Lifeline Udan operations include Air India, Alliance Air, Indian Air Force (IAF) and Pawan Hans. Private carriers like IndiGo, Spicejet and Blue Dart are operating medical cargo flights on a commercial basis.
"The Lifeline Udan flights are planned using a hub and spoke model. Cargo hubs have been established in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Kolkata. Lifeline Udan flights connect these hubs to each other and therefrom to different parts of the country," the statement stated.
A special focus has been on the North East Region (NER), island territories and the hill states.
On the international front, Air India has established a cargo air-bridge between India and China.
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