Special flights from Gulf land in Capital, fliers recount ordeal

Chaos ensues as families evacuate Dubai due to Middle East tensions, with special flights bringing over 1,100 Indians back to Delhi amid flight cancellations.

For Madhuri Dwiwedi, who managed to escape the unrest in Dubai through Oman’s capital Muscatto reach Delhi, the past 72 hours have been so chaotic that she forgot to inform her daughters’ teachers that they would not be able to attend online classes on Tuesday.

Relief, joy as stranded Indians from Gulf land at the Delhi airport. Operations at IGIA were hit for the fourth day amid flight curbs due to the West Asia crisis. (Sanchit Khanna/Hindustan Times)

“On Sunday, I received a message from my daughters’ school that classes would be online on March 2 and 3, and would continue unless tensions in the Gulf improved. We reached Muscat yesterday, so my daughters attended their classes. As we were uncertain about our travel plans to India and only secured tickets this morning, I completely forgot to inform their teachers,” said Dwiwedi, who returned to India along with her husband and two daughters, both below the age of three. The family has been settled in Dubai for the past six years.

The US-Israel military campaign against Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory strikes have widened the Middle East conflict across the Gulf region, killing hundreds and prompting evacuations, airspace closures, and concerns over regional stability.

While Dwiwedi travelled through Muscat, others secured special flights from Dubai to India. The third special flight carrying around 150 Indians from Dubai landed at Terminal 3 of Indira Gandhi International Airport at around 12.50pm on Tuesday.

The special flights came even as operations at Delhi airport remained impacted for the fourth consecutive day due to airspace restrictions in the Middle East. As of Tuesday, four special flights -- one on Monday evening and three on Tuesday -- had reached Delhi, carrying over 1,100 Indians from Dubai.

Though limited flights have resumed from airports in the Middle East, at least 80 flights to and from Delhi were cancelled on Tuesday. Additionally, over 200 flights, including domestic services, were delayed.

“Of the 80 cancelled flights, 36 were departures and 44 arrivals. The situation has started improving as two flights from Dubai landed on Tuesday,” an airport official said.

According to FlightRadar24, a flight-tracking website, more than 200 flights were delayed until Tuesday evening, with an average delay of 15 minutes.

At least 87 flights were cancelled on Monday and 104 on Sunday.

Delhi airport wrote on X: “Given the changing geopolitical situation in the Middle East, some westbound international flights may be subject to delays or operational adjustments.”

It asked passengers to check the latest updates with their respective airlines before travelling to the airport and, if necessary, consider alternate routes or connections suggested by the airline.

Airport officials said additional help desks were set up in the international security holding area and departure forecourt, and quick reaction teams were deployed across check-in, boarding, arrival, transfer, and ticketing areas.

“Advisories are being issued on social media platforms in real time. Airport staff are also distributing water bottles, tea, and refreshments via mobile food kiosks,” the official quoted above said, adding that hot meals and hygiene kits are also being provided.

“Further, additional recliners and medical teams have been made available. Over 3,000 bags belonging to passengers whose flights were cancelled have been returned so far,” the official added.

For four-year-old Shamik Vahishta and his parents Arvind (35) and Deepa (34), the end of their week-long vacation to Dubai was nothing short of dramatic, said Arvind.

“We were supposed to return on February 28, but our flight was cancelled at the last minute. At first, we planned to wait at the airport for the next available flight, but after receiving alerts and announcements to stay indoors, we decided it was safer to move to a hotel,” said Noida-based Arvind.

“We’re truly grateful to Air India. It felt like a covert evacuation. Around 10pm on Monday, we received a call and message about a morning flight, though they said it was still a 50-50 chance. We told them we were ready to take the risk,” he added.

Repeated announcements and non-stop sirens were unsettling, said 34-year-old Hardik Doshi, describing the scene at Abu Dhabi airport early Tuesday.

“I went on a company-sponsored leisure trip last Wednesday and was scheduled to return on March 1. Around 400 employees from different departments were on the trip. After the cancellations, we were all split up. No one knows how many have returned or are still stuck at a hotel in Dubai,” said Mumbai-based Doshi, who works in the finance sector and had a connecting flight from Delhi to Mumbai.