IAF's 'Kargil Courier' airlifted over 3000 stranded passengers this winter
By PTI News | First Published Mar 28, 2023, 4:06 PM ISTThe 'Kargil Courier' service started from January 18. In all, 3,228 passengers availed the services of the AN-32 and the IL-76 aircraft provided by the Indian Air Force for the residents of Ladakh, the official said.
The Indian Air Force's 'Kargil Courier' service airlifted over 3,000 stranded passengers during the closure of the 434-kilometre-long Srinagar-Leh National Highway this winter, an official said on Tuesday.
The 'Kargil Courier' service started on January 18. In all, 3,228 passengers availed the services of the AN-32 and the IL-76 aircraft provided by the Indian Air Force for the residents of Ladakh, the official said.
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Among them, 39 passengers were airlifted from Jammu to Kargil in an AN-32 sortie on Tuesday, he said. While the AN-32 aircraft operated between Kargil and the twin capitals of Jammu and Srinagar, IL-76 sorties were arranged between Srinagar-Leh and Jammu-Leh for stranded passengers, the official said.
In addition, several hundred stranded passengers were airlifted from Chandigarh to Leh in the IL-76 aircraft on the personal intervention of Ladakh Lt Governor Brig (Retd) BD Mishra, he added.
The IAF also assists by evacuating patients using helicopters from remote locations as a life-saving measure. The courier services operate between Srinagar and Kargil on every Monday and Wednesday and between Kargil and Jammu every Tuesday and Thursday.
"The IAF has been providing relief and succour to the civil population apart from remaining on high alert to face any unforeseen contingencies. The civilian population of UTs of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh face challenging conditions in winter due to the closure of the road from Srinagar to Kargil because of snowfall. During these difficult times, IAF provides airlift to the locals from Srinagar to Kargil and from Kargil to Jammu and Srinagar," Defence PRO Lt Col Devender Anand had said in January.
"The IAF also assists by evacuating patients using helicopters from remote locations as a life-saving measure.
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