Mumbai: Air India (AI) will operate three extra flights to Kuwait to bring home about 1,000 Indians, even as it has laid down a contingency plan for evacuation of Indian nationals, within 12 hours of government directions, if war breaks out in Iraq.

The first Boeing 747-200s left for Kuwait at 6.55 pm (IST) on March 19, while another is scheduled to depart later in the night. An Airbus A310 would also depart at 3.20 am (IST) on March 20 to Kuwait and from there to Kochi, the airline public relations director Jitendra Bhargava told reporters.

He said in the event of a war breaking out, the airline would operate flights out of Riyadh as the other three airports in the region – Kuwait, Amman and Bahrain – would be closed for air traffic.

He said the first flight from Kuwait with nearly 400 Indians would return to Mumbai at 3.25 am (IST) on March 20, while the second at 7.25 am (IST) and the third flight would land at Kochi at 1.10 pm (IST).

"These are no evacuation flights, but extra services being operated as there has been a sudden demand from Indians wanting to come home," he said adding normal flights would continue to be operated to the Gulf till the airports are open to civilian traffic.

"The airline is closely monitoring the situation and will put in additional flights as and when needed from Kuwait or any other point in the Gulf region," Bhargava said.

Bhargava said effective on March 18, all West-bound flights were overflying Iran, which entailed an additional distance of 36 nautical miles (five minutes in flying time).

If this route is closed, five other alternative routes entailing additional distances, ranging from 63 to 1,014 nautical miles (15 minutes to two hours flying time) would be considered by AI, he said.

This airway route would be followed by all airlines operating between South East Asia and Europe.

He said AI would approach Civil Aviation Ministry to seek assistance to make Mumbai airport available at all times to ensure that evacuation, once started can be operated at all times on a round-the-clock basis.

Bhargava said a control cell (telephone 28318861) has been opened in Mumbai to enable passengers to contact the airline in the event of their flights to Gulf destinations being cancelled.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has issued a notam (notice to all airlines) that due to recarpeting of the runway, especially on the intersection of the two runways (09-27/14-32), the airport would be closed between 10 am and 5 pm (IST).

Less than 2,000 metres of the runway would be available from March 20 till April 19 for operations, an airport official said.

PTI