AirAsia India flight carrying 170 Indian evacuees from Ukraine lands at Delhi

An AirAsia India evacuation flight from Suceava in Romania carrying 170 Indian evacuees from Ukraine landed at Delhi early morning on Saturday, an airline official said.

This was the first such flight operated by the Bengaluru-based budget carrier under 'Operation Ganga,' a central government initiative to bring back Indian citizens from war-torn Ukraine.

An AirAsia India flight from Sauceva in Romania via Dubai landed at Delhi Airport at 4 am Saturday morning with 170 Indian evacuees from Ukraine, the official said.


The passengers were received by the Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan on their arrival in India, said the official.

AirAsia India aircraft, an Airbus A320Neo, departed from Delhi at 8.30 am Friday for its destination via Dubai and departed from Suceava for Delhi at 6.45 pm (local time), he said.

The airline has said it is looking to operate a few more evacuation flights.

India has been evacuating its citizens through special flights from Ukraine's western neighbours such as Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Poland as the Ukrainian airspace has been shut since February 24, due to a Russian military offensive.

Apart from civilian flights, which have so far been operated by Air India, Air India Express, IndiGo, Go First, SpiceJet and AirAsia India, Indian Air Force is also helping the government in bringing back stranded Indians from Ukraine.