IGIA Designated as Distribution Hub of Medical Essentials to Combat COVID-19

The airport operator said that the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India on Thursday designated Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport as a major hub for the import and distribution of coronavirus (COVID-19) medical essentials.

IGIA operator Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) said in its official statement on Thursday that they have been handling about 22 cargo flights per day with freighters from various destinations like Doha, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Incheon. Moreover, they have built a dedicated distribution facility spread over 3,800 square meters for logistics, aggregation and distribution of large consignments of medical supplies imported by India.

All international and domestic passenger flights except cargo flights, medical evacuation flights and relief flights have been suspended as India has been under lockdown since March 25 to control the spread of COVID-19. The deadly virus is still infecting people rapidly. As of April 24, India has reported 23,502 confirmed cases and 722 patients have died due to COVID-19. However towards positive side 5,012 patients have completely recovered till date.

At least two lakh bottles of sanitizers, 70,000 body suits, 1,50,000 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits, more than 20,00,000 face masks and over 50,000 pieces of other medical equipment have been distributed across India through IGIA in Delhi, to combat the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in the country.

Mr. Videh Kumar Jaipuriar, CEO of DIAL, has stated “We are honoured to be designated as the major hub for import and distribution of medical essentials at this time of crisis by ministry of civil aviation. Even during the lockdown, Delhi airport is functioning 24×7 to handle international and domestic cargo movements for essential commodities including healthcare and medical supplies and it continues to stand committed to serve the nation by working closely with all its stakeholders … playing a critical role in overall air cargo supply chain.”

DIAL has also reported that everyone at the airport is strictly following all guidelines of social distancing, temperature check, sanitisation of premises and health precautions.