IndiGo becomes part of Operation Kaveri as 231 Indians prepare to leave Sudan

The Indian government has roped in IndiGo to further the ongoing repatriation operation from Sudan under ‘Operation Kaveri’, the Ministry of External Affairs has announced.

Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said in a tweet, “Indigo joins #OperationKaveri. 231 Indians in a flight to New Delhi from Jeddah. With this 5th outbound flight, around 1600 reached or airborne for India. Happy journey. Our Mission continues.”

Indigo joins #OperationKaveri.

231 Indians in a flight to New Delhi from Jeddah.

With this 5th outbound flight, around 1600 reached or airborne for India.

Happy journey.

Our Mission continues. pic.twitter.com/5JtBR0sHCF

— V. Muraleedharan (@MOS_MEA) April 28, 2023

“We have offered our services for charter flights to Jeddah under the Indian Government’s Operation Kaveri rescue mission of our citizens from Sudan. We are still awaiting details from the ministry to launch these flights, nothing has been confirmed as of yet,” IndiGo Airlines said in a statement.

The Indian aircraft carrier had earlier expressed its willingness to be a part of the operation. IndiGo said it remains committed to supporting the Central government’s mission to evacuate Indian citizens from Sudan.

Muraleedharan informed earlier that as many as 2,100 Indians have arrived in Jeddah, as part of ‘Operation Kaveri’.

MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that INS Sumedha, which is stationed at Port Sudan, has also left for India from the war-torn country with 300 people on board.

Earlier, on Friday, the Indian Air Force C-130J evacuated the 10th and 11th batches of 135 passengers from Port Sudan to Jeddah after the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to extend their ceasefire amid ongoing violence in the capital Khartoum and the western Darfur region.

With inputs from agencies