Limited UAE-India flights resume amid conflict, bringing relief to stranded passengers

Flight operations from Dubai and Abu Dhabi to India resumed on Monday night (March 2). In a major relief to thousands of Indians stranded in the UAE due to conflict in the West Asian region, flights to Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru took off after days of suspension.

Dubai Media Office said in a social media post that the Dubai Airports confirmed a limited resumption of flight operations last evening, with a small number of flights permitted to operate from Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC).

Relief flights by Etihad Airways from Abu Dhabi to Delhi, Mumbai, Kochi and Bengaluru reached on March 2. Emirates will begin operations to Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Hyderabad on March 2 and 3, from Dubai.

At Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi, departures were operating on a restricted but steady schedule. “Due to the temporary closure of UAE airspace, passengers scheduled to travel today should check directly with their airline before heading to the airport,” said the airport's website.

Limited operations

Emirates and flydubai airlines resumed operations while Etihad Airways’ services will begin from March 4.

Also read: West Asia conflict: 760 international flights cancelled, Kerala and Kolkata Gulf travel hit

The resumption of services primarily focussed on clearing the backlog of stranded passengers following the recent disruptions.

The military attack between Iran and the US and Israel led to the temporary closure of the Gulf region airspace and suspension of flights across various airports from Saturday (February 28). Two Iranian drones struck the US embassy in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh.

Travel operations related to India are resuming slowly. Many airlines have announced operations of relief flights to bring back the stranded passengers from the West Asia nations.

Recalling the tense moments

A Dubai flight landed safely at Chennai International Airport early Tuesday (March 3) morning. Passengers recalling the tense moments during the journey, said, “Explosions were heard in the distance, though all threats were intercepted. We are happy to be back home safely.”

Travellers thanked Etihad Airways, the Abu Dhabi government and the Indian government for ensuring their safety and providing accommodation and transport during the disruption.

Also read: War on Iran delivers a body blow to already battered Indian airlines

Calling it a “life-breaking moment”, a passenger said, “When you see a missile in front of you, you feel it may hit you any moment. From my (hotel) room, I could see interceptions happening in the sky. At that time, I thought about how the Indian Army faces such situations. We have great respect for them.”

He also expressed condolences for those who lost their lives. “We survived and returned home. If one missile had hit, we would not be here. All we wanted was to see our families,” he said, while appreciating the authorities in Abu Dhabi for taking care of stranded passengers.

Relief flights

Local carrier IndiGo announced that it will operate ten special relief flights from Jeddah to Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad on March 3.

While Air India Express is resuming Muscat operations, and keeping its services to Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia suspended till March 3.

Also read: A beginner's guide to the US-Israel war with Iran

Meanwhile, Akasa Air has suspended flights to Abu Dhabi, Doha, Jeddah, Kuwait and Riyadh till March 3.

Air India has suspended flights to West Asia till March 3. However, scheduled flights to the US, Canada, Europe and the UK have started.

SpiceJet, in a statement, said it would operate four special flights from Fujairah, UAE, to Delhi, Mumbai and Kochi to bring back the stranded passengers. The airlines will restore its scheduled Fujairah-Delhi and Fujairah-Mumbai flights from March 4, the statement added.

A total of 36 departures and 44 arrivals have been cancelled at Delhi airport so far, while in Bengaluru, 44 flights remain cancelled. 10 flights (arrivals and departures) at Kolkata airport are cancelled.

Mixed operations

Flight operations at Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah airports in the UAE reflected a mixed picture, with some services proceeding as scheduled while others, including certain India-bound flights, were cancelled. Despite a few disruptions, several departures continued to operate, indicating that airport activity had not come to a complete halt.

According to flight tracking monitor FlightRadar, several flights bound for the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia were diverted.

Also read: Iran blocks Strait of Hormuz traffic, India issues urgent advisory for seafarers

Two Etihad Airways flights headed to Abu Dhabi were rerouted to Muscat in Oman, while an Emirates flight en route to Dubai appeared to be returning to Mumbai.

Flights approaching Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport were also seen holding in the air or turning back to their points of origin, the monitor indicated, following reports of an attack on the US Embassy in the Saudi capital.