Cyclone Yaas: Eastern Air Command prepares for rescue, relief efforts

Indian Air Force (IAF) Chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh on Thursday flew MiG-29UPG multi-role aircraft solo sortie from one of the frontline fighter bases of India, and reviewed the operational preparedness of a base in Western Air Command.

The Air Chief also reviewed the operational preparedness of a base in Western Air Command (WAC). The exact location of the MiG 29 sortie, and the WAC base has not been revealed due to security reasons.

The two carriers will also operate their respective scheduled services to and from Jeddah and Muscat with a total of 10 flights to and from Jeddah, and 08 scheduled flights to and from Muscat operated by Air India Express.

"The government should clarify - what is the amount of reserves in our country presently, how much is left, how much can be consumed over how many days, and by when are they expecting that the LPG supply would be normalised. I believe the government is having talks; the people of this nation also need to be told about the current situation. If there is a crisis of energy, then by when the government plans to resolve it should also be clarified to the people, especially to the common man," he said.

According to an AIR India Express Spokesperson, "We confirm that our Hyderabad-Phuket flight on 11 March experienced an issue with the nose wheel at Phuket Airport. The crew followed all standard protocols, and guests were deplaned. We thank our guests, the Phuket airport authorities, and all stakeholders for their cooperation."

Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) leader N.K. Premachandran on Wednesday slammed the ruling government over reports of LPG shortages across the country in the wake of the West Asia conflict. He highlighted that major hotels are facing potential closures due to the severe disruption in commercial LPG supplies.

Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu is overseeing the situation and maintaining direct engagement with all relevant stakeholders to ensure a quick and coordinated response, the ministry said on Tuesday.

According to the statement, the new fuel surcharge will be implemented in three phases and will apply to travel on all flights, including those operated by Air India Express.

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Navy jointly conducted four successful in-flight release trials of the indigenous Air Droppable Container 'ADC-150' from the P8I aircraft off the coast of Goa between February 21 to March 1, at different extreme release conditions.

Rapid urbanisation has led to lake pollution, declining water quality, reduced groundwater recharge and worsening air quality in densely populated areas. To address these issues, the 'Lake and Air Watch' initiative will integrate monitoring systems across departments for coordinated and timely action.