NLSIU Alumni Network Raises Funds To Lease Chartered Air Asia Flight From Mumbai To Ranchi To Airlift Stranded Migrant

In a first, the alumni network of the National Law School of India University, Bangalore has leased an Air Asia aircraft to airlift 180 migrant workers stranded in Maharashtra’s Mumbai.

This is the first time that a group of private individuals has raised funds to lease a chartered plane and rescue distressed migrants and workers. The flight destined to Jharkhand’s Ranchi is scheduled to take off tomorrow, i.e., Wednesday, from Mumbai at 6 PM.

We examined the buses and the fares they are charging…we realized various issues with the buses in terms of road accidents, cross-border permits…we have no control over whether the bus actually reaches [its destination]…,” an alumna said

She informed that one of the NLSIU alumni working with the Tata Group put the Team in touch with the Air Asia, which agreed to lease an aircraft to them . Donation and funding made by former university students .they also planned To arrange a commercial passenger flight for 40 workers. The alumni  Network progressed to arrange a dedicated chartered flight.

They focus on transporting those migrants who have valid government IDs  that are acceptable to gain entry  to an airport . 

It’s a whole separate set of approval to get people through if they don’t have a valid ID…right now we have made the list [of migrants] based on people who have IDs and a lot of workers do have IDs, so that worked out well…,” an alumna said.

The former students have raised over 12 lakh In less then half a day  to release an aircraft  in order to fly 180 migrants labourers  from Mumbai to Ranchi amid the covid 19 lockdown With the help of tata group  they arranged a flight for them to fly tomorrow by 6 am flight and roy will be At mumbai airport at 2am to ensure that migrant workers board the flight .                                                 

By Shrija chauhan of LCD