Thursday, July 28 2005 16:21 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: Nearly two days after the Mumbai airport was closed down due to incessant rains and flooding of the runway, Indian Airlines today (July 28, 2005) operated its first flight out of the city with 144 passengers onboard to Delhi.

The Indian Airlines Airbus A-320 left the Mumbai airport at 1:20 pm, airline sources said here today (July 28, 2005).

Earlier, with limited navigational aids made available by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the city Airport was made "partially operational" and four aircraft, including three with relief materials, landed early today.

"A special flight with Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Chairman Subir Raha and his team also landed as we have made the airport available for visual landing by aircraft with the help of limited navigational aids such as the localizer and the distance measuring equipment", AAI airport director Sudhir Kumar said.

Kumar said water has receded and visibility (upto 2.5 km) today has improved considerably. The Mumbai airport had been closed since 2.30 pm on Tuesday.

The flights were suspended after the runway of Mumbai airport got flooded as the Mithi river adjoining the airport, overflowed and inundated the runway.