Amid rising West Asia tensions, Indian airlines are assisting stranded travellers. IndiGo is offering free cancellations and rescheduling, while SpiceJet has deployed numerous special flights from the UAE to bring Indian nationals home.
Indian airlines on Friday intensified their assistance for travellers impacted by the situation amid rising tensions in West Asia. While IndiGo has provided a month-long window for free cancellations and rescheduling until March 31, and SpiceJet has deployed 14 special flights from Fujairah and Dubai facilitate the return of stranded Indian nationals.
Airline Assistance for Stranded Passengers
Indigo in a post on X mentioned a Travel Advisory which said, "Full waiver on cancellations are being extended for travel to and from the Middle East, and Istanbul, until 31 March 2026. If you are scheduled to travel, please stay updated on your flight status here http://bit.ly/31paVKQ. If you require additional support or clarification, please contact our Customer Contact Centre at +91 124 6173838. Please be assured that our teams remain actively engaged, working with care and diligence to support your travel plans while maintaining an unwavering commitment to the safety and well-being of our customers and crew."
On the other hand, according to a SpiceJet press release, SpiceJet will operate 14 special flights from the United Arab Emirates on March 6 to facilitate the return of stranded Indian nationals. Of the 14 flights, 13 will operate from Fujairah, and one will operate from Dubai. The airline will operate nine special flights from Fujairah to Mumbai, four special flights from Fujairah to Delhi and one special flight from Dubai to Pune, providing additional capacity to help stranded passengers return home at the earliest.
In the last 3 days, SpiceJet has operated 25 special flights from the UAE, connecting stranded passengers to Delhi, Mumbai and Kochi.
On-Ground Situation and Official Clarification
Meanwhile, Indian passengers arriving at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport on Friday from Dubai, UAE, described the West Asian country as "safe" amid the ongoing conflict in the region. Passengers told ANI that the UAE government provided help and support amid a tense situation caused by flight cancellations. A passenger, Rahul Ghosh, said, "I am coming from Kuwait. In Dubai, we were told that our flight had been cancelled due to the war. There is no struggle. I did not feel like Dubai was unsafe."
On Thursday, the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi clarified that the airspace and the regular flight operations are still suspended in view of the situation; however, the Indian and the UAE airlines have commenced limited non-scheduled flight operations to multiple destinations in India, in coordination with the UAE authorities, subject to operational and safety approvals of relevant authorities. The stranded Indian nationals may avail themselves of these flights by contacting their respective airlines.
Geopolitical Context
This comes after the US and Israel conducted coordinated airstrikes across multiple Iranian cities, targeting military command centres, air-defence systems, missile sites, and key regime infrastructure. (ANI)
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