New Delhi | Indian airlines, including IndiGo, Air India, Air India Express and SpiceJet, are operating over 12 special flights to various cities in Saudi Arabia and the UAE to bring back passengers stranded due to the escalating Middle East conflict.
Besides, the airlines would operate some special flights to the Middle East on Wednesday.
Providing relief for hundreds of passengers, whose travel plans have been disrupted by the crisis, Air India Express resumed its services to Muscat (Oman) on Tuesday, and IndiGo would restart services to Muscat (Oman), Jeddah and Madinah (Saudi Arabia) on Wednesday.
Air India is operating two special relief flights to Jeddah and Dubai with wide-body planes on Tuesday and another such flight to Dubai from Mumbai on March 4.
On Tuesday, Air India Express operated three special flights -- Dubai-Bangalore, Abu Dhabi-Delhi and Sharjah-Mumbai -- apart from the regular services to Muscat.
"Air India Express will continue to operate its scheduled flights to and from Muscat on March 4. Alongside regular services to/from Delhi, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangaluru, Mumbai, and Tiruchirappalli, we will also be operating additional flights to Delhi, Kochi, and Mumbai," the airline said in a statement.
IndiGo on Tuesday said it was operating four repatriation flights to Jeddah, and another flight is expected to be operated to Muscat later in the day.
SpiceJet would be operating one flight each from Fujaira (the UAE) to Delhi, Mumbai and Kochi on Tuesday. The airline said it would also have one service each from Fujairah to Delhi and Mumbai on Wednesday.
Among other carriers, regional airline Star Air is operating two repatriation flights from Fujairah to Mumbai on Tuesday, according to a source.
On Tuesday, Gulf carrier Emirates operated at least one flight from Dubai to Delhi and another from Dubai to Mumbai.
"All scheduled Emirates flights to and from Dubai remain suspended until 2359hrs UAE time on 4 March, due to airspace closures across the region. Emirates continues to operate a limited number of passenger repatriation and freighter flights on 3 and 4 March," Emirates said in a post on X.
Etihad Airways said all its scheduled commercial flights to and from Abu Dhabi remain suspended until 1400 UAE time on March 5.
"Some repositioning, cargo and repatriation flights may operate in coordination with UAE authorities and subject to strict operational and safety approvals," it said in a post on X.
Meanwhile, more than 250 flights were cancelled at Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai airports on Tuesday due to the Middle East conflict, officials said.
New Delhi | The government on Tuesday said airlines have undertaken calibrated adjustments to their schedules and plan to operate 58 flights on March 4 amid the Middle East crisis.
"Special arrangements are being made to facilitate the movement of stranded passengers, with airlines deploying additional capacity where required and coordinating closely with foreign aviation authorities and Indian missions abroad to ensure safe and orderly passenger movement.
"A total of 24 flights are being operated by Indian carriers today. In addition, Emirates and Etihad have operated 9 flights from the Gulf in the last 24 hours," the civil aviation ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said it was in continuous touch with airlines and closely monitoring airfares to ensure that there is no undue surge in ticket prices during this period.
According to the ministry, Indian carriers have undertaken calibrated adjustments to their schedules, with long-haul and ultra long-haul operations being progressively resumed through alternative routings that avoid restricted airspace.
"Indian carriers are further planning 58 flights on 4th March, including 30 by IndiGo and 23 by Air India and Air India Express. Foreign carriers operating between India and the Gulf region are also undertaking limited operations, subject to operational and airspace considerations," it said.
The escalating crisis in the Middle East involving the US, Israel, and Iran have significantly impacted flight operations as some airspaces are closed in the region.
"Till date, 1,221 flights by Indian carriers and 388 flights by foreign carriers have been cancelled due to the ongoing situation," the ministry said and added that it was closely monitoring the situation.
As many as 104 international flights were cancelled by Indian carriers on Tuesday, as per figures provided by the ministry since February 28.
In the last three days, as many as 1,117 international flights due to the Middle East crisis.
"All airlines have been advised to maintain transparent communication with passengers and ensure adherence to regulatory requirements concerning refunds, rescheduling, and passenger assistance," it added.
The ministry is in continuously coordinating with airlines, airport operators, regulatory authorities, and the external affairs ministry to ensure safe operations, orderly restoration of services, and facilitation of affected passengers.
New Delhi/ Bengaluru | Whether in transit or on a trip to Dubai, fliers who returned to India after being stranded in the conflict-hit region narrated their ordeal, from hearing sounds of explosions to experiencing financial woes, long waits and confusion during their stay there.
Several passengers said they heaved a sigh of relief only when their aircraft touched the Indian soil after a long and arduous journey, and thanked the central and the respective state governments for the arrangements.
Lok Sabha BJP MP from Chandni Chowk in Delhi, Praveen Khandelwal, on Tuesday said his daughter, who was stranded in Dubai for the last three days amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, returned safely to India. He said she had travelled to Dubai on a business trip and was unable to return due to flight cancellations.
Tensions have escalated following a coordinated offensive launched by the United States and Israel against Iran on February 28. The US and Israel jointly launched military strikes on the Islamic country on Saturday. Iran responded by firing drones and missiles at Israel and US military installations across the Gulf, and also at the global business hub of Dubai.
"I didn't feel any relief, not even during the flight, until I finally landed in Delhi," said Sunil Gupta, one of the several passengers who returned home shaken.
Gupta, who was returning from Dubai, said the uncertainty was overwhelming.
Arvind, a resident of Noida who also returned from Dubai, said many people were stranded after flights got cancelled.
"People had just gone there for a few days and are not able to handle the expenses. The stranded tourists are facing a serious financial burden. That is the biggest problem right now," he said.
He said the flight that he had initially booked was cancelled, forcing him to stay back for four extra days.
"During that time, we kept hearing about and seeing incidents around us. I personally saw explosions in the sky, but they (missiles) were being intercepted. Even though the missiles were intercepted, witnessing something like that creates fear," he said.
For some families, the distress has been far more personal.
Kunwar Shakeel Ahmed, father of an Indian student studying in Iran, said the situation near his daughter's hostel is frightening.
"Sounds of blasts can be heard. Whatever missiles are being fired are landing very close to where they are staying. She told me that after one blast nearby, parts of the roof and the plaster of the hostel building fell off. You can imagine what the girls must be going through," Ahmed said.
Another passenger, Suhail Ahmed, returning from Muscat, said delays and uncertainty at airports worsened the situation.
"There were long waits and confusion. Families with children were struggling and many people were running short of money. In such times, authorities should ensure a faster clearance and better arrangements for those trying to return," he added.
Relief was writ large on the faces of Indian passengers who arrived at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru from the UAE, ending a period of high tension fueled by the conflict in West Asia.
Upon arrival on Monday night, the passengers recollected the tense moments of a missile attack in the Gulf nation, before flying towards safety.
Saurabh Shetty, who hails from Mangaluru and works for an oil company in Abu Dhabi, described the situation as "worrisome and scary".
"When I came to catch my flight on February 28, everything seemed alright. Suddenly, near the check-in area, we got an alarm and were asked to sit down. We were cautioned not to sit near the windows because of a missile threat," he told PTI videos.
"Someone said, 'Missile is going to hit.' We were shocked. We were like we are in the safest city — Abu Dhabi. How can this happen here? Later, when we looked outside, we saw a missile. We never thought such things could happen here...," Shetty added.
Girimalappa Kerur, originally from Bilgi in Bagalkot district and currently based in Bengaluru, said he was travelling to Paris on a business trip but got stranded.
"We could hear explosions, and we were told around 15 missiles were intercepted in Abu Dhabi. One person reportedly died due to debris. Etihad arranged a safe hotel away from the airport... I cancelled my onward trip to Paris and returned to Bengaluru. I’m relieved to be back," he said.
Shubha, a passenger from New York, who was supposed to return to Chennai on Sunday, described how the roads wore a deserted look following the conflict and added it was a "scary situation" in Dubai.
"Coming back here is like freedom. I am coming from New York. I had a layover in Dubai on Saturday. In the afternoon around 1 pm that day, they (Airline authorities) said that the Dubai airspace had been closed," she told reporters at the airport here.
A passenger Syed Ali said, "Upon hearing the news, several children started crying due to the situation at the Dubai airport. However, the hotel authorities helped us a lot and accommodated us."
"Nearly 20,000 people were seen standing in long queues and were sent to various hotels," Ali, who hails from Nagoor in Tamil Nadu said.
A drone attack near their hotel in Dubai and a sense of insecurity kept 23 tourists from Kolhapur district on tenterhooks, but thanks to Indian and UAE authorities, the group on Tuesday landed safely in Mumbai and returned to their hometown.
