New Delhi | Jagran News Desk: In what could be moment of light between India and Pakistan amid the heightened tensions over Jammu and Kashmir, national carrier Air India on Saturday received an unexpected praise from an Air Traffic Controller (ATC) in Karachi.
Air India has been operating numerous relief and evacuation flights worldwide amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. Its work has been appreciated worldwide and the latest to join the list was Pakistan.
Recently, the national carrier operated two special flights from India to Frankfurt with relief materials and evacuated European nationals, who were stranded in India due to the COVID-19 infection.
After entering the airspace in Pakistan, the Karachi ATC welcomed the Air India flight and praised them for their work and wished them good luck for their mission.
"It was a very proud moment for me as well as the entire Air India crew when we heard from Pakistan ATC praising our special flight operations to Europe," one of the senior captains of the special flights told exclusively to news agency ANI.
"As we entered in the Pakistan's Flight Information Region (FIR) and the Pakistan Air Traffic Controller (ATC) greeted us 'Assalaam Alaikum!' This is Karachi's control welcoming Air India for relief flights to Frankfurt," the senior captain quoted the Pakistan ATC as saying.
The Pakistan ATC asked the Air India pilot to confirm that it was operating relief flights for Frankfurt. After getting a confirmation from the Indian pilot, the Karachi ATC cleared direct to exit point Kebud request estimate crossing Kebud.
The Pakistan ATC showered praise on Air India and said, “we are proud of you that in a pandemic situation you are operating flights, Good Luck!”
"Thank you so much," responded the captain of India's national carrier.
The talk between the didn’t end here. The Air India pilot also asked the Pakistan ATC that he is not getting next radar for the Iran airspace, Pakistan conveyed the Indian jet's position to the Tehran airspace and provided details of the two AI special flights.
Many crew members of AI's Boeing-777 and Boring 787 were deployed for the special evacuation flights for European and Canadian citizens from Mumbai and Delhi.
Before taking off from Mumbai airport, the ATC there, besides giving permission praised the national carrier's efforts amidst crisis, saying "we are proud of you".
The Captain also replied back stating that they were also proud of working with the ATC and all other services as a sign of mutual respect.
After Pakistan airspace, the special AI flight entered Iran. As the captain told news agency ANI, it had never happened before in his entire pilot career that the Middle East country had given a direct route of over 1000 miles.
"First time in my entire career as pilot, Iran gave a direct routing for about 1000 miles a privilege guess enjoyed as special flights, in all especially in the recent tense situation in the Iranian airspace," he said
"Iran has rarely given direct route to any of airlines because direct route of Iran airspace is strictly kept reserve for their defence purposes only. Before leaving Iran airspace, the ATC there also wished us 'all the best'," the AI captain told to ANI.
After Iran, the AI special flights entered into the Turkey airspace and then Germany's. "All ATCs from Bombay to Frankfurt welcomed the special flights of Air India and wished us very proudly," the Captain said.
The two special Air India flight flew out stranded European and Canadian citizens from Mumbai. All crew members including the pilots wore the mandatory COVID-19 coveralls for over 20 hours at a stretch (to/from and ground time at Frankfurt). They will now remain in self-quarantine for 14 days.
A 21-day lockdown was imposed by the government to control the spread of the novel coronavirus in India. The government had also suspended all international flights to control the pandemic, following which many foreign nationals got stuck in India.
(With ANI inputs)