Covid-19: IAF's C-17 Airlifts Four Cryogenic Tanks From Singapore, To Be Used In Transportation Of Medical Oxygen

An Indian Air Force (IAF) C-17 plane landed at Changi airport Singapore on Saturday (24 April) morning to transport four cryogenic tanks to India by Saturday evening.

Amid Covid-19 surge, many hospitals in India are facing shortage of medical oxygen. The problem is transportation of medical oxygen due to lack of availability of cryogenic tankers to meet the increased demand.

Transportation of four cryogenic tanks from Singapore may ameliorate the situation to some extent.

“An Indian Air Force (IAF) C-17 plane landed at Changi airport Singapore on Saturday morning. It was expected to fly back and reach Panagarh in West Bengal by evening,” IAF spokesperson Wing Commander Ashish Moghe said.

From Panagarh the tanks will be routed by road to several steel plants in adjoining Chhattisgarh and Orissa for filling oxygen for further supplies to several states, reports The Tribune.

Also, Indian Air Force (IAF) has swung into action by carrying out sorties from various parts of the country to airlift oxygen containers, cylinders, essential medicines, equipment required for setting up and sustaining COVID hospitals and facilities in the fight against fresh surge in COVID-19 cases.

The IAF Transport aircraft and helicopters have been pressed into service for carrying out these tasks. These include transport aircraft C-17, C-130J, IL-76, An-32 and Avro.

The C-17 and IL-76 aircraft of IAF have started airlifting big empty oxygen tankers from their place of use to the filling stations across the country to speed up the distribution of much needed oxygen.