SpiceJet on Thursday said it will operate a special flight from Delhi to Jodhpur on Friday to ferry 142 Indians evacuated from Iran to a government quarantine facility there.
The airline, in a press statement said, it will deploy its Boeing 737 aircraft for the service, which is being operated on the request of the government. The passengers will be reaching New Delhi on a Mahan Air flight.
The SpiceJet flight will take off from New Delhi at 1.40 a.m. and land in Jodhpur at 2.55 a.m. on Friday.
The Indian Army has set up one of its quarantine facilities in Jodhpur for Indians returning from abroad.
"The aircraft will be thoroughly cleaned and fumigated upon its return to Delhi and SpiceJet will follow all the protocols for its crew members," the airline said.
This is the first time since the outbreak of COVID-19 that the government has pressed a private carrier into service for medical evacuation. All previous flights have been carried out by the national carrier, Air India. Several airlines, including IndiGo and GoAir, have offered the government their services to evacuate passengers as well as for transporting medical supplies and equipment.
Published - March 26, 2020 11:29 am IST
