Limited flight operations between India and some cities of West Asia resumed on Tuesday but thousands remain stranded as the airspace disruptions continued, as the US and Israel’s conflict with Iran entered the fourth day.
Evacuation flights operated between cities of India and parts of West Asia like Dubai and Oman, but some of the flights from India had to return midway because of security threats in the air, said sources.
According to sources, at least three Dubai-bound Emirates flights from Delhi, Chennai and Bengaluru returned after take-off due to airspace restrictions.
One flight from Mumbai was, however, able to land in Dubai.
At Calcutta airport, all flights to West Asia destinations like Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha continued to remain suspended on Tuesday. The airport officials said there was no information on whether any evacuation flight from West Asia would be operating to the city. Hundreds of Calcuttans are stuck in West Asian cities at the moment.
Amid the chaos and cancellations, Indian carriers initiated relief measures. IndiGo has scheduled 10 special flights from Jeddah to India.
“In light of the evolving situation in the Middle East and Persian Gulf, IndiGo has begun its repatriation efforts aligned with the relevant authorities in India and the respective governments. Four such flights are now enroute to Jeddah, and one is expected to be operated to/from
Muscat, later in the day,” said an IndiGo spokesperson.
From Wednesday, more scheduled flights and seat capacity are expected to be offered.
The IndiGo spokesperson said operations are expected to resume to Muscat, Jeddah, Madinah in West Asia and Athens in Europe, depending on safety clearances.
“Furthermore, for March 4, repatriation flights to stations in the UAE (United Arab Emirates) are being worked upon. However, it will depend on the local situation and the necessary approvals,” said the IndiGo spokesperson.
Akasa Air said it operated select services to and from Jeddah on Tuesday and plans to do so on Wednesday as well, following a comprehensive safety review. It will operate services on the Mumbai–Jeddah–Mumbai sector.
SpiceJet will also operate special flights to facilitate the return of Indian nationals stranded in the UAE.
SpiceJet chairman and managing director Ajay Singh said: “In such difficult times, our foremost priority is to help Indian citizens who wish to return home. We are grateful to the concerned authorities whose coordination has made these special flights possible.”