1990 airlift of Indians from Kuwait
| Airlift of Indians from Kuwait | |
|---|---|
| Part of Invasion of Kuwait and the Gulf War | |
Map of Kuwait | |
| Type | Emergency evacuation |
| Location | Kuwait |
| Planned by | Ministry of External Affairs |
| Objective | Humanitarian relief |
| Date | 13 August 1990 - 20 October 1990 |
| Executed by | Air India, Indian Airlines, Indian Air Force |
| Outcome | More than 170,000 Indian citizens evacuated. |
The 1990 airlift of Indians from Kuwait was carried out from August 13, 1990, to October 20, 1990, after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Air India helped evacuate 170,000 people by civil airline. The operation was carried out before the Persian Gulf War in 1990 to evacuate Indian migrant workers from Kuwait. Foreign Minister I.K. Gujral was instrumental in getting Iraq to co-operate on these efforts. Following this operation, Air India, the flag carrier of India, entered the Guinness Book of World Records for the most people evacuated by a civil airliner. Mathunny Mathews, Harbajan Singh Vedi, Abey Varicad, N.V.K. Warrier, Ali Hussain and few others based in Kuwait helped immensely in the evacuation efforts of fellow Indians.