Medical Oxygen: IAF flies 1,400 hours in 21 days to supply oxygen across India
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has flown around 1400 hours in 21 days to transport oxygen for emergency medical use across India.
IAF flew over 732 sorties of its transport aircraft and helicopters to move 498 oxygen tankers from both within India and abroad to help the country fight the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The air force deployed 42 transport aircraft, including six each C-17 and Ilyushin-76 transport planes and 30 medium-lift C-130Js and AN-32 aircraft for the mega operation.
According to IAF, the force has flown 634 sorties for 939 hours to move 403 oxygen containers which can carry 6856.2 metric tonne (mt) of oxygen along with 163.3 mt of other equipment.
IAF has also flown to more than nine countries, including Germany, Indonesia, Australia, Britain and Singapore, to bring oxygen containers and other relief material from there.
IAF carried out 98 sorties/clocking 480 hours to bring 95 containers from these foreign nations in the international sectors, IAF officials told the media. The containers moved from abroad by the IAF can help carry 793.1 mt of oxygen while 204.5 mt of other relief material was also flown in, said the officials.
The air force has been engaged in airlifting of oxygen both within and outside the country since April 21 and has created special teams and crews for these operations, which have also necessitated the creation of biosecure bubbles to avoid any infection to its own personnel.
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