With wars in the Middle East showing no signs of stopping anytime soon, Indian airlines are seeking “safe airports” to bring back stranded nationals from the war-torn region, sources told India Today. Airlines have been in touch with the Civil Aviation Ministry to shortlist these “safe airports” since most Gulf countries closed their airspace to commercial flights after the conflict began last week.
Sources said Indian airlines are already planning flights from Jeddah, Fujairah, Muscat, Dubai, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi. A total of 14,992 stranded passengers have returned to India till March 5. But thousands of Indians remain stranded across the Middle East.
On Saturday, Air India and Air India Express will operate 51 flights to repatriate stranded passengers from Jeddah, Riyadh, Muscat, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. India’s largest airline, IndiGo, will also resume a limited number of flights to the Middle East on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) said it was in contact with airlines to ensure that ticket prices do not rise excessively during the crisis. We are also coordinating other stakeholders to facilitate passenger movement and minimize disruption.
What has happened so far in the Iran war?
Israel and the United States jointly attacked several areas of Iran on February 28. The attack killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran. The attack occurred while Iran and the United States were negotiating a nuclear deal.
After the Israeli and US attacks, Tehran and its proxies, Hezbollah and the Houthis, retaliated by firing missiles at US military bases in Tel Aviv, Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain. Retaliatory attacks led to the expansion of the war to sweep the Middle East.
In addition, Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a key gateway responsible for 20% of global oil trade, triggering a surge in global energy prices.
The conflict briefly expanded beyond the Middle East and into the Indian Ocean region after a U.S. Navy submarine sank the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena off the coast of Sri Lanka. The frigate lost 87 soldiers while participating in a recent naval exercise hosted by India.
According to Iran’s UN ambassador, at least 1,332 Iranians have died so far. On the other hand, 11 people in Israel and 6 American soldiers were killed in the Iranian attack.
Meanwhile, Israel escalated its war with airstrikes on Beirut on Friday after ordering an unprecedented evacuation of Lebanon’s southern suburbs. Israel says its bombing of Lebanon is aimed at eradicating Hezbollah.
US President Donald Trump has called for Iran’s ‘unconditional surrender’ despite growing uncertainty about how long hostilities will continue.
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