West Asia conflict: SpiceJet to fly 8 special flights from UAE

SpiceJet will operate eight special flights from Fujairah, UAE, to New Delhi, Mumbai, and Kochi on Wednesday. This is to facilitate the return of Indian nationals stranded amid the escalating conflict in West Asia.

SpiceJet's Special Repatriation Flights

SpiceJet will operate eight special flights from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday to facilitate the return of Indian nationals stranded there amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia, a press release by the airline said on Wednesday.

According to the release, all eight flights will operate from Fujairah. The airline will operate four special flights to New Delhi, three special flights to Mumbai and one special flight to Kochi, providing additional capacity to help stranded passengers return home at the earliest.

On Tuesday, SpiceJet operated four special flights from the UAE, connecting stranded passengers to New Delhi, Mumbai and Kochi.

Conflict Triggers Widespread Airspace Disruption

This comes amid schedule changes and suspensions of flights due to the ongoing tensions in West Asia, which began with the United States and Israel's strikes on Iran. Iran's retaliation engulfed several West Asian nations under the missile attacks, extending the conflict to the whole region.

Delhi, Mumbai and the Kochi airports have witnessed an influx of Indian passengers returning from the region as Dubai and Fujairah partially opened the airspace.

Government and Airlines Coordinate Response

Meanwhile, India is continuously monitoring the evolving airspace situation in parts of West Asia and its impact on international flight operations. 1,221 flights by Indian carriers and 388 flights by foreign carriers were cancelled to date due to the ongoing Iran conflict.

Furthermore, a total of 24 flights were operated by Indian carriers on Tuesday, while Emirates and Etihad operated 9 flights from the Gulf.

Coordinated Flight Operations

"Indian carriers are further planning 58 flights on March 4, including 30 by IndiGo and 23 by Air India and Air India Express. Foreign carriers operating between India and the Gulf region are also undertaking limited operations, subject to operational and airspace considerations," the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a statement.

Indian carriers have undertaken calibrated adjustments to their schedules, with long-haul and ultra-long-haul operations being progressively resumed through alternative routings that avoid restricted airspace, it said.

"Special arrangements are being made to facilitate the movement of stranded passengers, with airlines deploying additional capacity where required and coordinating closely with foreign aviation authorities and Indian missions abroad to ensure safe and orderly passenger movement," the statement added.

Conflict Background

US and Israeli airstrikes across multiple Iranian cities on February 28 targeted military command centres, air-defence systems, missile sites, and key regime infrastructure.

In response, Iran retaliated by launching ballistic missiles and drones at US assets and allies across the region, including Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan, further widening the conflict.

(ANI)

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