With hours left for the expiry of US ultimatum to Iraq, Air-India is rushing four flights to Kuwait to bring home over 1,000 Indians and one plane left for Kuwait City on Wednesday evening.

"Over 1,250 Indians have moved applications requesting urgent evacuation from Kuwait and they have already assembled at Kuwait airport," Civil Aviation Minister Shahnawaz Hussain said in Delhi.

The first Boeing 747-200s left for Kuwait at 6.55 p.m. on Wednesday, while another is scheduled to depart later on Wednesday night.

An Airbus A310 would depart at 3.20 a.m. and the fourth at 0700 hrs on Thursday to Kuwait and from there to Kochi.

Air-India Public Relations Director Jitendra Bhargava told newsmen that with fears of a war breaking out, the airline would operate flights out of Riyadh as the other three airports in the region - Kuwait, Damman and Bahrain - would be closed for air traffic.

He said the first flight from Kuwait with nearly 400 Indians would return to Mumbai at 3.25 a.m. on Thursday, while the second at 7.25 a.m. and the third flight would land at Kochi at 1.10 p.m.

"These are not evacuation flights but extra services being operated as there has been a sudden demand from Indians wanting to come home," he said, adding normal flights would continue to be operated to the Gulf till the airports are open to civilian traffic.

"The airline is closely monitoring the situation and will put in additional flights as and when needed from Kuwait or any other point in the Gulf region," Bhargava added.

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