Thousands of travellers have been stranded across the UAE since February 28, after widespread airspace closures were announced in the region. Triggered by the rising geopolitical tensions due to the Iran-US-Israel war, numerous Gulf countries and those connected to their airways, were forced to cancel and reschedule flights, forcing numerous tourists to find shelter in the country.
As the situation stabilises, airlines are slowly resuming flights to limited destinations, helping people finally reach their homes and safety. Air travel between the UAE and India has also resumed, with major airlines such as IndiGo and Air India announcing schedules of flights.
In a statement on Saturday, Air India and Air India Express announced that they will operate 32 non-scheduled flights between India and the UAE on March 9 to bring stranded travellers home.
Air India resumes flights from key Gulf destinations
The airline group stated that the flights will operate subject to slot availability and prevailing conditions, adding that necessary permissions from Indian and local aviation authorities have been arranged.
Here are the key locations included in the plan:
- Air India will operate 10 non-scheduled flights to and from Dubai, including three round-trip flights from Mumbai and two from Delhi.
- Air India Express will operate one round-trip each between Dubai, Mumbai and Bengaluru along with special services to other UAE airports.
These include one round-trip each between:
- Abu Dhabi to Bengaluru and Mumbai
- Sharjah to Bengaluru, Mumbai
- Ras Al Khaimah to Bengaluru, Delhi, Kochi and Mumbai, with Mumbai operating two round-trip flights to Ras Al Khaimah
These flights are aimed at passengers whose travel plans had been disrupted by cancellations across the region.
Additionally, on March 9 the airlines will operate 10 flights to and from Jeddah and Muscat, where the airspace remains open. Air India Express will also operate 14 flights to and from Muscat, including services from Delhi, Mumbai, Kannur, Thiruvananthapuram and Tiruchirappalli, along with two round-trip flights from Kochi.
Some operations remain cancelled
Despite the expanded operations, the Air India group said scheduled flights to numerous other Middle East destinations including Bahrain, Dammam, Doha, Kuwait and Riyadh remain cancelled until March 13. Passengers booked on these routes can rebook on a future date without additional charges or opt for a full refund.
AIX has allowed passengers with cancelled bookings to rebook their tickets from any UAE airport to any destination in India without additional charges.
Passengers have been advised to check the latest flight status on the airline's website before heading to the airport along with ensuring that their contact details are updated to receive timely travel notifications.
Europe routes are also being resumed
Air India will deploy 78 additional flights to five destinations across the United States and Europe due to the high demand amid the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, the airline announced on Sunday.
Between March 10 and 18, the airline group will operate additional flights to five key gateways in Europe along with New York (JFK) over the next few days, along with services to the Maldives and Sri Lanka.
The flights will be operated along the following routes:
- Delhi-New York (JFK)
- Delhi-London (Heathrow)
- Mumbai-London (Heathrow)
- Delhi-Frankfurt
- Delhi-Paris (CDG)
- Delhi-Amsterdam
- Delhi-Zurich
- Delhi-Malé
- Delhi-Colombo
“Despite the odds, Air India continues to maintain its scheduled services to Europe and North America, sustaining connectivity to several international gateways using alternative routings that are assessed as safe for operations," said Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial Officer.
Region-wide aviation crisis due to the Iran-US-Israel war
The military strikes and retaliatory actions between Iran and its adversaries led to the temporary airspace closures in many countries in the Middle East, with restricted airspace operations in some.
Numerous passengers had to return home after reaching the airport, while flights were diverted mid-air to other destinations. Those in the UAE for travel or business were forced to find quick shelter in hotels and apartments with hopes of booking extensions amid the escalating crisis. Major airlines across the countries including Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways, Air India, IndiGo and others paused their operations while issuing travel advisories. They also allowed stranded passengers free cancellations along with rescheduling to help them in times of stress and anxiety.
A gradual journey back to normal
Gradually, airspace has begun to expand with airlines in the Middle East and those in India slowly resuming services.
Major Gulf carriers such as Etihad, Qatar Airways and Emirates have scheduled limited flights to India and other destinations while closely monitoring the safety of the situation. Similarly, Indian airlines including IndiGo and Air India have also restored connectivity for passengers stranded in the Gulf regions.
