Ukraine shuts down its airspace, Air India evacuation flight returns to Delhi

After Ukraine closed off its civilian airspace citing potential threats, an Air India flight, AI 1947, which had left for Kyiv from New Delhi to evacuate Indians is now returning back to the national capital. According to a News18 report, the  flight had been suspended mid-air after the announcement of NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions) from the country, restricting its airspace amid ‘potential threats’. Numbered “1947”, the Air India Dreamliner had earlier taken off for Kyiv’s Kyiv Boryspil International Airport. The airline had scheduled three special flights to operate this week to evacuate Indians out of Ukraine.

Earlier, a special Ukraine International Airlines today landed in the Indira Gandhi International Airport(IGI), Delhi with 182 Indian citizens including students from Kyiv. "Ukraine International Airline, the first special evacuation flight touched down today at 07:45 hours at Delhi Airport bringing in 182 Indian National mainly students studying in different universities in Ukraine," Anju Wariah, GSA representative of the UIA in India told ANI. "We understand the concerns of the parents and our endeavour is to help and assist as many students studying there to come back home. There are four special evacuation flights that are scheduled in the next couple of days and we are working on more," Anju said. On Tuesday, Air India's special flight AI-1947 operated for Ukraine to bring back Indians from Ukraine. More than 20,000 students from India are currently studying in different parts of Ukraine.