Pune Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde has arranged two special aircraft to evacuate 164 residents of the state including Pune students stranded in the United Arab Emirates following airspace disruptions triggered by the ongoing US–Israel–Iran conflict, his office said on Tuesday.
According to an official statement, the flights departed from Fujairah Airport at 3.30 pm and 4.30 pm local time and are expected to reach Mumbai later in the evening.
Those returning include 84 students from Pune’s Indira School of Business Studies, along with residents from Thane, Ahilyanagar and Pune districts.
The deputy chief minister has been in contact with stranded citizens since hostilities escalated in West Asia over the weekend. Officials said several hundred people from Maharashtra remain stuck in different parts of the Middle East due to the closure of airspace following the Iran conflict, though all are reported to be safe.
Meanwhile, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said he is closely monitoring the developments and coordinating with multiple agencies, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said in a post on X. The state government is also in regular touch with the Centre to facilitate assistance. State minister Girish Mahajan has been assigned to oversee coordination efforts.
To assist stranded residents, the state government, in collaboration with the Indian People’s Forum in Dubai, has launched an emergency WhatsApp helpline (+971 50 365 4357).
{{/usCountry}}To assist stranded residents, the state government, in collaboration with the Indian People’s Forum in Dubai, has launched an emergency WhatsApp helpline (+971 50 365 4357).
{{/usCountry}}The conflict has led to widespread flight cancellations and diversions across West Asia after several countries shut their airspace. Maharashtra authorities are continuing to compile data on residents stranded abroad. Among those currently in Dubai is Congress MP Kalyan Kale, who had travelled there a day before the joint US-Israel strikes on Iran, his brother said.