The first flight to Calcutta from a West Asian destination landed early on Thursday, more than 113 hours after flight operations were stalled because of the ongoing war. The flydubai plane from Dubai arrived with 130 stranded passengers.
Many more travellers went to the Dubai airport hoping to catch the first flight home but were unable to do so.
Several flights operated between India and West Asia on Thursday as the conflict between the US, Israel and Iran entered its sixth day, and airports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, which had been closed, opened partially.
An airport official in Calcutta said more flights from Gulf countries are expected in the coming days.
Calcutta airport officials said FZ 461, the flydubai flight from Dubai, landed at 2.40am on Thursday. It was originally scheduled to arrive at 12.25am.
This was the first flight to operate between the Gulf and Calcutta after 113 hours and five minutes, they said. The last flight before the suspension had been an Emirates flight to Dubai, which took off at 9.35am on February 28, before airspace closures.
On its return, the flydubai plane took off with 55 passengers at 3.59am.
Back home
Kidderpore resident Nawsad Ali was among the passengers who arrived in Calcutta. Ali, part of a group of four who had gone to Dubai on business on February 27, had been scheduled to return on February 28.
But the UAE skies were closed because of the war. “We went to the airport on the morning of February 28, but it was shut. However, flydubai officials promised to take care of our accommodation and food,” Ali said on Thursday evening. “My wife and four-year-old daughter were very worried, and I had to make video calls to assure them I was safe,” he added.
Ali said he received an email from the airline regarding Thursday’s flight. “At the airport, the airline provided food packets. I was not scared while flying but was relieved to come back home after all the uncertainty,” he said.
Another Calcuttan, business administration student Sarah Ali, returned to the city on Wednesday from Dubai via Mumbai. She had travelled to Dubai in January to study.
“I was supposed to come to Calcutta on March 13, but after the war broke out, I was desperate to return earlier,” said Ali, who stayed in Dubai Silicon Oasis academic city.
“Debris from intercepted missiles fell near our hostel. I shifted to a relative’s house about 10 minutes away,” she said on Thursday.
Ali took an Emirates flight from Dubai to Delhi and then an IndiGo flight onwards to Calcutta. “There was only one business class seat left, but my tour operator managed to get it for me... On the flight, everyone was calm. Another flier, also a student, had brought forward her return to India and was on the same flight,” she added.
Still stuck
Kasba residents Nishant Ranjan and his wife had gone to Dubai on February 28 for a holiday. They were scheduled to return on Thursday on the flydubai flight but could not.
“I received a message from the airline saying the flight would not operate. But later, my tour operator informed me that it was running, so we rushed to Dubai airport,” Ranjan said.
He described the crowd at the Dubai airport as “huge” and said airline staff told them their names were not on the passenger list. “I approached one official at the airport who helped me get seats on a flight later this week,” he added.
Rescue efforts
Tour operators said they were coordinating to get as many stranded passengers out of West Asia as possible.
“We are coordinating with airlines and stranded passengers to get them out of the war zone,” said Amin Asghar, president of Skal International Kolkata and director of A and A Travel Zone.
“Those stranded are feeling insecure and inconvenienced. Now, more flights are lined up to come to Calcutta,” said Anjani Dhanuka, chairman of the Travel Agents Association of India, eastern region.