Saturday, January 1 2005 17:15 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kolkata: Indian Airlines today (Jan 1, 2005) discounted West Bengal Government's allegation that it was not making available required number of aircraft for airlifting relief material for tsunami victims of Andaman and Nicobar islands.

Asked for comments on the State Government's allegation that huge quantities of relief materials for the tsunami victims remained piled up at the NSC Bose international airport for want of aircraft, IA sources said, ''There has been no lack of cooperation on our part.''

''IA has been carrying all relief material free of cost to the island territory,'' they said, adding that in view of the damaged runway at Port Blair, the Airlines had to use Boeing planes, having lesser carrying capacity, in place of the Airbus-320.

They said that in view of these constraints, IA has been trying to cope with the situation. Each of the cargo planes can airlift seven tonne, while passenger aircraft have the ability to carry only about three tonne of relief materials.

Meanwhile, IA today airlifted 19.3 tonne of relief material to Port Blair from here and brought back 116 stranded passengers here from the Andamans.

The relief materials included food and food packets, tents, drinking water, bleaching powder and telecommunication equipment.