Middle East Crisis: Flights to India partially resumed after five-day disruption

Airlines have begun resuming limited operations from Dubai and other Gulf cities after five days of disruption triggered by regional tensions. While some repatriation flights have restarted, major carriers and airports continue to face restrictions and suspended services.

Dubai: After five days of chaos triggered by the ongoing tensions in the Gulf region, airlines are gradually resuming limited flights from various cities, most notably Dubai.

This marks a crucial turning point for the aviation sector, which has been severely impacted by flight cancellations, leaving hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded at international airports. The reinstatement of some services offers a glimmer of hope for travellers desperate to return home. The disruption began following the escalation of tensions in the region, leading to the closure of key airports and restricted airspace in countries such as the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait.

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Emirates, one of the most affected airlines, has confirmed the resumption of several flights from Dubai to destinations across the world, including Hyderabad. However, flights to Hyderabad and some other cities were cancelled at the last moment, while operations to other destinations continued. Though not all routes have reopened, the partial restoration of air corridors has allowed a limited number of repatriation flights and cargo operations to take place.

Despite the resumption of select services, major airports in the region continue to feel the impact of the crisis. Dubai International Airport, one of the busiest in the world, was among those forced to halt operations briefly. Airlines including Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways and Gulf Air, besides India’s Air India and IndiGo, were severely affected by the crisis. Qatar Airways flights remain suspended due to the closure of Qatari airspace, and Hamad International Airport remains largely inactive with flights grounded, affecting travellers not only from the Gulf but beyond.

Bahrain-based Gulf Air, another major airline connecting various continents, also remained grounded as Bahrain’s airspace remained closed. However, on Wednesday, it moved some transit passengers by road to Saudi Arabia, from where they were flown to India. Air India services to the region remained suspended; however, its subsidiary Air India Express is operating limited flights from Muscat.

IndiGo has partially resumed operations to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, repatriating Umrah passengers. Budget carrier Akasa Air said it would operate select flights to Jeddah.

SpiceJet is also operating special flights from the UAE to facilitate the return of Indians.