Air India begins zeolite cargo flight service

Medical oxygen plant technology by DRDO will help in on-site oxygen generation

National carrier Air India has begun the first of its “zeolite cargo flights” with the government of India having commenced the process of importing zeolite from across the world for use in medical oxygen plants. The government has appointed the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as the charterer for these consignments. Under the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM CARES) Fund, the DRDO is to set up these medical oxygen plants. An April 28 Press Information Bureau release says the medical oxygen plant technology being developed by the DRDO will now help in supplementing oxygen supplies for COVID-19 patients, with the transfer of technology having been made to Tata Advanced Systems Limited, Bengaluru, and Trident Pneumatics Pvt. Ltd., Coimbatore. The technology uses the pressure swing adsorption process and molecular sieve zeolite in oxygen generation. The release says the technology will be especially useful in urban, remote and rural settings with on-site generation of medical oxygen in a cost-effective manner. The airline said the first set of seven chartered flights, from Rome to Bengaluru, will start from May 15-18. Two aircraft, with 35 tons of the substance, will land on Sunday, at 4.45 a.m. (Delhi-Frankfurt-Rome-Bengaluru, AI 1152; 13 tons) and 6.45 a.m. These will be followed by eight charter flights, from Korea to Bengaluru between May 19-22. There will be uplifts too from the United States on its scheduled flights from Newark Liberty airport between May 20-25. The airline has also planned these flights from Brussels, Tokyo and the U.S. again later.