Repatriation flights bring Indians home

Major Indian and global carriers on Tuesday launched a large-scale repatriation mission to evacuate thousands of Indian nationals caught in the crossfire of the Israel-Iran conflict.

- Dhairya Gajara

Operating under high-security protocols and navigating restricted air corridors, airlines including Air India, IndiGo, Akasa Air, SpiceJet and Emirates conducted special relief flights to bring home passengers stranded in West Asia.The sudden closure of airspace over the UAE, Saudi Arabia and several neighbouring countries on February 28 led to the cancellation of thousands of flights. Indian tourists, migrant workers and pilgrims were left stranded at major transit hubs. The suspension of operations by global carriers such as Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways, along with the shutdown of some of the world’s busiest airports including Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha, effectively cut off travel routes to India.