Limited Flights Resume From Dubai And Abu Dhabi To India Amid Rising Middle East Tensions

New Delhi: A big relief has come for thousands of Indians who were stranded in UAE. Flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi towards India have started again, but for now only in small numbers. The entire Middle East was entangled due to America-Israel attacks on Iran, skies were closed, flights were cancelled, and people were stuck in airports and hotels. Now gradually some flights are operating, and in the first phase many Indians returned home.

When did flights resume from Dubai to Abu Dhabi?

Emirates, Etihad and flydubai started running some special flights from Monday evening. Mostly these are to bring stranded people home. A flight from Abu Dhabi reached Delhi, flights from Abu Dhabi also landed in Mumbai and Bengaluru. Some flights also operated from Dubai, but most commercial flights are still closed. Airlines are saying that only essential and safe flights will operate.

What did the stranded passengers tell?

The people who came back said that there was a scary atmosphere in the sky. A passenger said, "I saw the war." It felt as if the heart was ticking. I had never seen anything like this. I had a dream of joining the Indian Army, but after seeing this, I started wondering, "How do these people live like this every day?"

A passenger named Shiv said, "Missiles were being intercepted continuously. The sky was very busy. Not much damage was seen in Abu Dhabi." Ajay said, "Our flight to America did not take off from Dubai. After 7-8 hours we came to know that there was a war. Emirates buses came and took us to the hotel. As soon as we got the news of departure of flight to Mumbai, we immediately contacted and came. Now the situation there is getting a little better."

What is the government doing for the stranded Indians?

The central government said that talks are ongoing with Indian embassies in the Gulf. Efforts are being made for safe return. The Civil Aviation Ministry said that IndiGo will operate 10 special relief flights from Jeddah on March 3 – to Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad. State governments are also helping. DGCA has asked Indian airlines to start flights in open airspace like Oman and Saudi Arabia.

Why did all this happen?

On February 28, America and Israel launched major attacks on Iran, in which many prominent leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei were killed. Iran took revenge. It attacked with drones and missiles across the region, targeting American bases and Gulf countries. Due to this, the airport was closed, the sky was dangerous, and lakhs of passengers got stranded. Now there is some relief, but the situation is still tense.
Those who are stranded are hopeful that they will reach home soon. The government and airlines are making every effort.