The Indian Air Force was involved in another spectacular operation at Allahabad wherein it had deployed its aircraft and helicopters for specialised duties in Mahakumbh 2001 under the aegis of Air Marshal Vinod Kumar Verma, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, HQs Central Air Command. The entire air operations were planned and co-ordinated under the able command and control of Air Marshal S P Tyagi, the Senior Air Staff Officer, HQs Central Air Command.

One Mi-8 and one Chetak helicopter were extensively used for air surveillance of the entire Kumbh area and its adjoining areas in coordination with Mela Administration and Mela Police. Air Commodore Anil Bhalla played a pivotal role in the execution of air surveillance of the earmarked area of Mahakumbh. The effective aerial traffic monitoring of the entire traffic in and out of Kumbh area in case of exigency was worked out in advance in consultation with Mela Police. A special police control was established at Air Force Station, Bamroully for better and effective co-ordination.

The HQs Central Air Command had also deployed one AN-32 medium lift transport aircraft fully configured for an air-ambulance role. It was fitted with 24 stretchers and an emergency medical team. In addition, one IL-76, the heavy lift transport aircraft, was kept on a hot standby, fully configured for an air-ambulance role. It was fitted with 72 stretchers and an emergency medical team. These two transport aircraft were fully committed to Mahakumbh and were placed at Bamroully Air Base for casualty evacuation for specialised treatment at the super speciality hospitals at Lucknow and Delhi. These aircraft would take about thirty minuts to reach Lucknow and one to one-and-half hours to reach Delhi. Apart from aerial surveillance and reconnaissance, helicopters were earmarked for casualty evacuation from mela area to Bamroully. Even these helicopters were configured for air-ambulance role. The Mi-8 was fitted with 12 stretchers and an emergency medical support system, alongwith a medical team fully specialised in first-aid and casualty evacuation. Detailed plans were also worked out to ensure inflow of essential medicines and food suplies to the inaccessible areas at a short notice in case the requirement was placed by mela administration to meet any exigency.