Kerala just flew a kidney on a regular flight—for the 1st time ever
Kerala made history by transporting a donated kidney on a commercial airline instead of the usual helicopter or Navy plane.
The organ, from 17-year-old Ayona Monson in Kannur, was flown early Thursday to Thiruvananthapuram Medical College to save a 27-year-old woman's life.
K-SOTTO (the state's transplant organization) stepped in after technical issues ruled out using a helicopter and approached IndiGo Airlines.
How it all went down
The kidney's retrieval at Aster MIMS Hospital was completed by 5am and the team reached the airport by 6am with Dr. Namitha, who volunteered to transport the organ.
IndiGo's crew even made special space for the big container during the journey, which included a stop in Kochi before landing in Thiruvananthapuram at 10:45am.
Why this matters
Besides this flight, another kidney was transplanted at MIMS Hospital in Kozhikode, while Ayona's liver and corneas were sent to other hospitals—helping multiple patients in one day.
Using a regular flight for organ transport is new for Kerala and could make future life-saving transfers faster and more accessible.