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Air India website puts flight chartered for BSF on 'sale'

June 30, 2012

BSF_Flight

Kolkata, June 30: For a few hours between Thursday night and Friday noon, a website error dissolved one of the world's great divides - between civilian and military.

An Air India flight chartered for the Border Security Force (BSF) found its way into the regular bookings section of the airline's website, allowing civilians book their seats in the exclusive military-only aircraft. One of those who had logged on to book a seat on AI-3255 - the Silchar-Kolkata flight on July 8 - was Keith Menezes, the director of a tea company. Menezes would have probably had to return from Silchar airport had he not called up the station manager to reconfirm the flight before making the payment. "I had booked a flight to Kolkata for June 29. But my trip got postponed and I tried on Thursday night to change the ticket to July 8. Since the AI website doesn't accept flight changes, I decided to first book the flight and then make the cancellation," Menezes said.

When he logged on - unaware like most others that an AI flight number beginning with '3' indicates it's chartered - AI-3255 was one of the options along with two other flights.

No confirmed bookings on BSF flight

Director of a tea firm Keith Menezes said: "Three flights figured on the website - AI 3254 at 7.30am, AI 9706 at 9.20am and AI 754 at 3.15pm. I opted for the first flight and was about to pay for when I decided to do it offline. When my agent went to the onsite counter, he was told no seats were available as it was a chartered flight. Why did they have to put us through this harassment?"

The duty manager of the airline in Kolkata, P K Dutta, was shocked by the flight being posted on the bookings section. "It should never have figured on the website. No seats are available on the flight," he said. The flight was taken off the website around Friday noon.

An Air India spokesperson admitted the mistake. "As soon as we were alerted about the error, we called up our Delhi office and got it rectified. However, there were no confirmed bookings on the flight. Else, it would have led to complications. Any Air India flight starting with the numerical '3' is chartered," he said. Air India operates chartered flights for the Indian Army, the BSF and the Reserve Bank of India.

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News Network
June 17,2020

New Delhi, Jun 17: With an increase of 10,974 new cases and 2,003 deaths in the last 24 hours, India's COVID-19 count reached 3,54,065 on Wednesday while the toll due to the virus stands at 11,903.

This includes 1,55,227 active cases and 1,86,935 cured, discharged and migrated patients, according to the Union Health Ministry.

While the spike in the number of cases has stayed below the 11-thousand mark, the death toll has increased manifold today as compared to the 380 death reported on Tuesday.

Maharashtra with 1,13,445 cases continues to be the worst-affected state in the country with 50,057 active cases while 57,851 patients have been cured and discharged in the state so far. The toll due to COVID-19 has crossed the five thousand mark and reached 5,537 in the state.

It is followed by Tamil Nadu with 48,019 and the national capital with 44,688 confirmed cases.

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News Network
February 27,2020

New Delhi, Feb 27: An Indian Air Force aircraft on Thursday evacuated 76 Indians and 36 foreign nationals from the coronavirus-hit Chinese city of Wuhan.

The C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft was sent to Wuhan on Wednesday and it carried 15 tonnes of medical supplies for coronavirus-affected people in China.

On its return, the aircraft brought back 112 people, including 23 citizens from Bangladesh, six from China, two each from Myanmar and the Maldives and one each from South Africa, the US and Madagascar.

Earlier, India had evacuated around 650 Indians from Wuhan in two Air India flights.

“In all 723 Indian nationals and 43 foreign nationals have been evacuated from Wuhan, China, in these three flights,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

On the medical supplies delivered by India to China, the MEA said they would help augment the country’s efforts to control the coronavirus outbreak which had been declared as a public health emergency by the World Health Organisation.

“The assistance is also a mark of friendship and solidarity from the people of India towards the people of China as the two countries also celebrate 70th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations this year,” it said.

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News Network
May 25,2020

New Delhi, May 25: India witnessed the highest ever spike of 6,977 positive cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of COVID-19 to 1,38,845, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

India is now among the top 10 countries in the world regarding the total number of COVID-19 cases.

With 154 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, the total number of deaths due to COVID-19 now stands at 4,021 in the country.

Out of the total number of cases, 77,103 are active cases and 57,721 have been cured/discharged/migrated.

Maharashtra continues to remain the worst affected state with 50,231 COVID-19 cases, followed by Tamil Nadu (16,277), Gujarat (14,056) and Delhi (13,418).

The fourth phase of the nationwide lockdown imposed as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of COVID-19 is scheduled to end on May 31.

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