Chennai: The Indian Air Force (IAF) has airlifted two containers containing 450 oxygen cylinders from the United Kingdom and cryogenic oxygen cylinders from Germany and it landed here Tuesday.
Sources said the two IAF aircraft–one from UK and the other from Germany–arrived here.
The 450 cylinders from UK came via Cairo.
The cylinders, each holding about 46 litres, were airlifted on the IAF IFC-7221 aircraft and the Indian Red Cross Society collected the cylinders at the airport.
Chennai Customs in a tweet said, ‘IAF flight carrying first batch of oxygen cylinders from UK, landed in Chennai International airport early this morning. Chennai Customs completed all customs clearances within 15 minutes’.
Expressing gratitude to the UK, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted: ‘Showcasing the potential of Indo-UK partnership to fight the pandemic. An IAF aircraft carrying 450 oxygen cylinders arrives in Chennai (India). Grateful to UK for the support.’
Another 450 cylinders of the same capacity later reached Chennai.
IAF also airlifted 4 cryogenic oxygen cylinders from Germany in its C-17 planes.
Soon after the arrival of the cylinders, Customs authorites quickly completed all the clearances and later handed them over to the Indian Red Cross Society.
As there has been rapid increase in daily covid case load tally, the demand for oxygen supply has been on the rise.
The Central government has directed the industries to produce medical oxygen.
Besides, India has been receiving assistance in terms of medical equipments, oxygen tankers, empty oxygen cylinders from many countries.