MoCA & Air India establish air bridge between India and China

The Ministry of Civil Aviation and Air India have worked closely with China to establish a cargo air-bridge between the two countries for transfer of critical medical supplies. The first cargo flight between India and China was operated by Air India carried 21 tonnes of critical medical supplies from China. On the domestic front, 116 flights have been operated by Air India, Alliance Air, IAF, Pawan Hans and private carriers, under Lifeline UDAN and 79 of these flights have been operated by Air India and Alliance Air. Cargo transported till date is around 161 tons. Aerial distance covered by Lifeline Udan flights till date is over 112,178 km.
The ministry informs that special focus has been given to the North East Region (NER), island territories and the hill states. MoCA, Air India and IAF have collaborated closely for last mile deliveries to Ladakh, Dimapur, Imphal, Guwahati and Port Blair.
Bulk of the cargo comprises light-weight and voluminous products like masks, gloves and other consumables, that require more space on the aircraft per ton. Special permission has been taken to store cargo in the passenger seating area and overhead cabins, with due precautions. The Lifeline Udan flights are being operated despite significant logistical challenges in road transportation of cargo to and from airports; production bottlenecks and in the movement of aviation personnel.
Domestic Cargo Operators SpiceJet, Blue Dart and Indigo are operating cargo flights on a commercial basis. Spicejet operated 166 cargo flights from 24 March to April 4, 2020 covering a distance of 2,23,241 km and carrying 1,327 tonnes of cargo. Out of these, 46 were international cargo flights. Blue Dart operated 52 domestic cargo flights, covering a distance of 50,086 km and carrying 761 tonnes of cargo between March 25 and April 4, 2020. Indigo has operated eight cargo flights during April 3-4, 2020 covering a distance of 6,103 km and carrying around three tonnes of cargo. This includes medical supplies carried free of cost for the government.