New Delhi, April 10 (IANS). Amidst the ongoing tension in West Asia, flights to India are continuing from countries whose airspace is open. The Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday that since February 28, about 8.43 lakh passengers have come to India from the Gulf region.
Limited non-scheduled commercial flights are operating from UAE to India. Considering the operational and security conditions, around 95 flights are expected to operate from here on Thursday.
Qatar’s airspace is partially open, from where Qatar Airways is likely to operate around 8-10 flights to India.
Flights to India are also continuing from various airports in Saudi Arabia and Oman. Bahrain’s airspace remains open and Gulf Air is planning limited flights to India. Besides, special flights are also being operated from Dammam Airport in Saudi Arabia.
Kuwait’s airspace is currently closed. In such a situation, Jazeera Airways and Kuwait Airways are running special flights to India through Dammam Airport. The movement of Indian citizens from Kuwait is being done through Saudi Arabia.
The Indian Embassy in Iran has so far helped 2,180 Indians reach Armenia and Azerbaijan, from where they are being returned to India. These include 981 students and 657 fishermen.
Israel’s airspace is partially open and limited flights are operating. From here, Indian citizens are being brought to India via Jordan and Egypt.
Iraq’s airspace is also open with limited operations. The return of Indians from here is being done through Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
The Ministry of External Affairs said that a special control room is working 24×7 to monitor the situation, which is maintaining coordination with Indian missions. Apart from this, constant contact is also being maintained with the state governments and union territories.
Indian missions are assisting citizens through a 24-hour helpline and issuing updates from time to time on travel, local guidelines and consular services. Besides, constant coordination is also being maintained with the Indian community, professional groups and companies.
–IANS
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