The first batch of Indians living in Libya are expected to be brought home by Saturday evening. Two Air India aircraft — a Boeing-747 from Mumbai and an Airbus-330 from Delhi — will airlift them from Tripoli. The Boeing-747 and Airbus-330 have a passenger capacity of 360 and 280, respectively. The Libyan government has given landing
clearance for two Air India planes per day from Saturday till March 7 for evacuation of Indian nationals but New Delhi has requested Tripoli to extend the clearance if more time was required for evacuation.
The MEA said Scotia Prince, the passenger ship chartered by the government, was now expected to dock at Benghazi in Libya on February 28 and ferry over 1,200 passengers to Alexandria on March 2. Subsequently, they will be flown home on Air India aircraft.
Around 150 Indians from the Libyan town of Tobruk are likely to travel by road to Salloum which is near the border with Egypt. They are likely to cross over in two batches on February 26 and 28. At Salloum they would be met by Indian embassy personnel from Cairo. The MEA statement said the Egyptian government has agreed to facilitate visas on arrival at the border. Arrangements were being made for their travel onward by road to Cairo and subsequently by air to India.
The Indian Navy vessel INS Jalashwa, accompanied by the INS Mysore, was expected to leave Mumbai on Saturday for Libya to assist in the operations underway.