AI to move Indians from Lebanon

Air India to mount 2 special flights to Cypriot to evacuate hundreds of Indian nationals from trouble-torn Lebanon.

Air India would mount two special flights to the Cypriot capital of Larnaca on Thursday night to evacuate hundreds of Indian nationals from trouble-torn Lebanon.

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Two Boeing 747-400s, with a total capacity of about 850, would fly from Mumbai to Larnaca to bring home the stranded Indians as part of one of the largest civilian evacuation operations overseas.

The two special flights would be operated on every alternate day depending on the requirements at Larnaca, AI sources said.

The Indian Navy, earlier in the day, started evacuation operations pulling out over 700 Indians and nationals of some other countries from Lebanon by one of the four warships sent for the rescue mission, 'Operation Sukoon'.

Requests have been pouring in for evacuation from hundreds of Indians amid escalation of fighting between Hezbollah militants and Israel.