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Ukraine: Air India’s evacuation flight turns back midair as Kyiv shuts airport
Seven crew were on board the plane that was dispatched to bring back Ukraine-based Indians who wanted to leave the country due to escalating tensions and following advisories to do so
NEW DELHI: An Air India flight - AI 1947 - that took off for Kyiv at 7.24am on Thursday from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport to bring back Indian nationals looking to leave Ukraine, had to turn back midway after Kyiv’s Boryspil airport was closed for civilian flights due to the onset of a military invasion of the eastern European country by neighbouring Russia.
The Air India flight landed back in Delhi at 12.35pm. Seven crew were on board the plane that was dispatched to bring back Ukraine-based Indians who wanted to leave the country due to escalating tensions and following advisories to do so.
According to airport sources in Delhi, the flight had to turn back when it was overflying Iran at 10 am IST. The decision was taken after Iran’s air traffic control (ATC) informed Air India flight’s pilots about the Ukrainian airspace being closed for civilian airlines.
“The pilot in command informed the Delhi ATC that he had to return as the Ukrainian airport had issued a notice to airmen (also called NOTAM),” said a Delhi airport official.
According to airline officials, the flight left Delhi after cross-checking the developments and details about the destination airport in Kyiv. “However, it was only hours after the aircraft departed [Delhi] that Ukraine announced the airport closure and... we were forced to fly back,” said an Air India official.
It was Air India’s second special flight aimed at flying back Indian citizens from Ukraine. The first flight successfully operated on Tuesday, bringing back 242 Indians.
Delhi airport officials said that Ukraine International Airlines operated a special flight to Delhi on Thursday morning, just a few hours before Ukraine shut its air space.
