In a big relief to those stranded in Ukraine, the government will arrange evacuation flights free of cost to fly back Indians who have managed to reach the Romania-Ukraine border amid Russian invasion. The government has asked Indian nationals to reach the Ukraine-Romania border by road where they would be taken to Bucharest by officials so that they can be evacuated in two Air India flights.

One flight will leave from Delhi and another from Mumbai to Bucharest on Friday night. Sources claimed that Delhi-Bucharest plane is likely to take off at around 9 pm and the flight from Mumbai is likely to depart at 10.30 pm.

Sources said that the government is focusing on evacuating the Indians through Ukraine's land borders with Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Romania as the Ukrainian government closed the country's airspace following the Russian military offensive. “The evacuation flights for the Indians are being arranged and the transportation cost will be completely borne by the government,” sources added.

 The government arranged two chartered flight of Air India to Romanian capital Bucharest on Friday while two flights are planned for Saturday from Budapest to bring back the Indians possibly via neighbouring countries of Ukraine.  Around 24,000 Indians — mainly students — are currently stranded in Ukraine.

The distance between the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and the Romanian border is approximately 600 kilometres and it takes anywhere between 8.5 to 11 hours to cover the distance by road. The distance from the Ukraine-Romania border to Bucharest is approximately 500 kilometres and it takes anywhere between seven to nine hours to cover the distance by road.  The distance between Kyiv and the Hungarian border check point is around 820 kilometres and it takes 12-13 hours to cover it by road.

“The Ukrainian airspace was closed for civil aircraft operations by the country's authorities on Thursday morning and therefore, the evacuation flights are operating out of Bucharest,” sources added.

The Indian embassy in Ukraine on Friday said it is working to establish evacuation routes from Romania and Hungary. "At present, teams are getting in place at the following checkpoints: Chop-Zahony Hungarian border near Uzhhorod, Porubne-Siret Romanian border near Chernivtsi," it said.

Indian nationals, especially students, living closest to these border checkpoints are advised to depart in an organised manner in coordination with teams from the Ministry of External Affairs to actualise this option, the Embassy said.

Air India has kept two Boeing 787s and crew along with support staff like a small team of security personnel and engineers.

Air India’s second evacuation flight to Kyiv had to return to Delhi from over Iran on Thursday. A notice to airmen (NOTAM) had been issued before AI 1947 left Delhi around 7.50 am, restricting civilian flight movement in Kyiv airspace due to military activity in the region. Since the airspace was not declared out of bounds, AI sent the flight so that if it could be assured that the Dreamliner can land safely there, it will be able to bring Indians back home to safety.