Centre grants permission to passenger aircraft for ferrying medical cargo, essential goods

Aviation regulator Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in an order issued on Wednesday said there has been an additional demand for transporting essential cargo services due to the viral outbreak.

The Centre has granted special permission to conduct cargo operations using passenger aircraft for ferrying medical equipment and essential goods during the ongoing 21-day nationwide lockdown, which started on March 25, to contain the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak.

So far, 74 flights have been pressed into service to carry essential medical supplies and goods.

Aviation regulator Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in an order issued on Wednesday said there has been an additional demand for transporting essential cargo services due to the viral outbreak.

“With the Covid-19 outbreak and subsequent lockdown in the country, there is a demand for cargo operations for transporting medical equipment and essential goods. Considering the extraordinary situation that the country is facing, permission may be given to scheduled/non-scheduled operations to use the available passenger category aircraft (without configuration changes) for the carriage of cargo,” the DGCA said in its order.

So far, 74 flights have been pressed into service to carry essential medical supplies and goods. A total of 37.63 tonnes of cargo has been transported to date, according to the Union ministry of civil aviation.

Carriers involved in Lifeline Udan operations include Air India, Alliance Air, Indian Air Force (IAF) and Pawan Hans. Private carriers such as IndiGo, SpiceJet and Blue Dart are also operating medical cargo flights on a commercial basis.

The DGCA order comes after the shortfall was pointed by the government’s nodal agency for medical procurement, HLL Lifecare Limited. The state-run company had pointed towards a shortfall of supply of equipment due to high demand and logistical issues because of the lockdown. The state-run company had also written to the Indian Railways citing the crunch. “Normal movement has been a bit strained because raw materials first have to be ferried to a manufacturing unit, then the finished product has to go The South India Textile Research Association (Sitra) for testing, and finally to the facilities where they’re needed, “ a government official said requesting anonymity.

The Union government has also formed a committee under the ministry of home affairs for enabling the supply of medical equipment. Besides the railway board chairman, the panel on logistics comprises secretaries to the ministries of aviation, health, drugs, textiles, consumer affairs and shipping. The committee is tasked with ensuring unhindered supply of essential and medical goods during the lockdown and coordinating on relief operations.

The committee, which is slated to hold a daily meeting, discussed the issue of making domestic cargo service operational. It also held talks on logjam across highways as hundreds and thousands of trucks are stranded since the lockdown.

The civil aviation ministry has said special flights have been arranged to ferry cargo, including Covid-19-related reagents, enzymes, medical equipment, testing kits, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as masks, gloves and other accessories across the country.

The Indian Railways has also begun special parcel train services in a bid to increase the supply of essential items such as medical supplies and equipment and groceries in small parcel sizes. Also, freight trains have been operational.