IAF deploys 5 aircraft to aid oxygen distribution

Pitching in to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has deployed five types of aircraft to ferry essential items to different parts of the country, and has carried out several sorties to airlift oxygen containers, cylinders, essential medicines and equipment required for setting up and sustaining Covid hospitals and facilities to deal with the surge in infections, the defence ministry said on Friday.

Aircraft have also been kept on standby to cater to additional workload.

“The IAF transport aircraft and helicopters have been pressed into service for carrying out these tasks. These include C-17, C-130J, IL-76, An-32 and Avro. Chinook and Mi-17 helicopters are on standby,” the ministry said in a statement,