The aircraft with a capacity of 400 passengers reached New Delhi on Saturday night. The second aircraft is expected to reach same airport before Sunday morning.
According to the External Affairs Ministry, Indian Embassy officials in Tripoli are in touch with Indian community associations and are at the airport to facilitate the departure of the Indian citizens. Air India spokesman said that the national carrier will operate special chartered flights every day from Delhi and Mumbai to evacuate Indian citizens in Libya till the seventh of next month.
Meanwhile, the passenger ship Scotia Prince is expected to dock at Benghazi in Libya on Monday and bring back over 1200 passengers to Alexandria on Wednesday after that Air India flights will fly them to India. Another passenger ship with the capacity of 1,600 is being chartered today and will be pressed into service to help Indian nationals come out of Libya.
Two Indian Navy vessels INS JALASHWA and INS MYSORE have set sail from Mumbai and will reach Libya in 12 days, to assist in the on going evacuation operations. Arrangements are being made for the travel of around 150 Indian nationals from the Tobruk as well.
The Indian embassies in Tripoli, Cairo and Tunis are working round the clock and the Government is doing its best to assist in the safe return of Indian nationals at the earliest.
The government in the meantime, clarified that no payment or charge of any kind is being levied by the government, for the evacuation and assisted departure of any Indian national in Libya.