New Delhi: A total of 1,045 Indians
returned home in three batches from strife-torn Libya on Wednesday by
Air India special flights.
The first special flight (AI-160), carrying 259
passengers, landed here at the Indira Gandhi International
Airport(IGIA) at 1:45 AM, an airport official said.
The second flight (AI-170), with 391 Indians on board
arrived at 6 AM while the third one (AI-180), carrying 395
passengers, landed at 6:45 AM the official said.
Three more planes left this morning for Tripoli to
airlift Indians who are still there.
Air India has brought back 2,128 passengers from
Libya so far. The national carrier had brought back a total of
557 Indians in two batches yesterday from the strife-torn
country.
While the first flight evacuated 291 Indians from
Libya and brought them back here on Saturday night, another
Air India plane carrying over 235 people landed in the wee
hours of Sunday.
External Affairs Minister S M Krishna yesterday spoke
to his Libyan counterpart Musssa Kussa for his country's help
in evacuating the trapped Indians after nearly 20 per cent of
an estimated 18,000 Indians were pulled out of the strife-torn
North African nation.
Some of the Indians have crossed over to Egypt while
some others have left the country through sea route.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, March 02, 2011, 13:07