New Delhi: Indian Airlines and Air India will provide free transport for relief material coming from abroad in the event of natural and man-made disasters, a senior official said today (July 3, 2004).

This follows a request by the Union Home Ministry that the Civil Aviation Ministry should provide free transport of relief materials coming from abroad during such disasters.

Indian Airlines has always provided assistance and free transport of men and material in the past during natural and national calamities and it would continue to do so in case of relief material coming from outside the country, Airports Authority of India's Executive Director, Engineering, R C Gupta said on the sidelines of a disaster management conference here quoting an official communication.

Air India has also informed that it could provide aircraft for transporting men and material in the event of disaster, Gupta said.