President condoles death of former IAF chief ACM O.P. Mehra

President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday condoled the death of the former IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal Om Prakash Mehra.

In his condolence message to ACM Mehra's son Suneel Mehra, the president said: "I am sad to learn about the passing away of your father, Air Chief Marshal Om Prakash Mehra, former Chief of Air Staff."

"Please accept my heartfelt condolences and convey it to the rest of your family members. I pray to the almighty to give you and other members of the family, the strength and courage to bear this irreparable loss," the president said in statement issued here.

ACM Mehra died on Sunday at the age of 96.

He served the Indian Air Force with distinction for more than three decades. He had many firsts to his credit. During his service, he flew a very wide variety of aircraft, including the Tiger Moth, the Jaguar (in Britain) and the MiG-21.

ACM Mehra implemented several reforms and rules that saw improvement in fight safety across the IAF.

He was not just a brave air warrior but also served the nation as governor of Maharashtra (1980) and of Rajasthan (1982).

For his outstanding services to the nation, he was honoured with a Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 1968 and a a Padma Vibhushan in 1977.