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Air India, Indigo to run special flights to and from Middle East today. See list here
India's aviation ministry has said that the Indian carriers have also sought operational flexibility to ensure safe passenger movement and evacuation support.
Disruptions to the routine flight operations continue as the military confrontation between US-Israel and Iran in the Middle East rages on. In view of the unfolding situation, India's IndiGo Airlines and Air India group have announced special flights to and from several locations in the Middle East, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, today. Track updates on UAE developments
As per the operational plans of airlines, Air India will operate 58 flights to and from West Asia, and IndiGo will commence will operate flights to 8 destinations across the Middle East from Wednesday, March 11.
This comes amid India's aviation ministry saying that the Indian carriers have also sought operational flexibility to ensure safe passenger movement and evacuation support where required. Data suggest that Indian carriers operated 45 inbound flights with 7,047 passengers arriving on them from West Asia on March 9, the ministry said in its statement, news agency PTI reported.
What airlines have said
The Air India group has said that Air India and Air India Express operate a total of 36 ad-hoc non-scheduled flights to and from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) depending upon the ‘the availability of slots and other prevailing conditions at the respective point of departure at the time.’ “These flights are being operated with the requisite permissions from the relevant Indian and local regulatory authorities,” the group said in its statement.
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Air India will operate one round-trip each from Delhi and Mumbai to Jeddah, while Air India Express will operate one round-trip each from Hyderabad and Kozhikode to Jeddah.
Air India Express will also operate its scheduled services to Muscat, including one round-trip each from Delhi, Mumbai, Kannur, Thiruvananthapuram and Tiruchirappalli, and two round-trips from Kochi.
Check Air India's operational plan here.
Similarly, IndiGo has said that it will operate flights to 8 destinations across the Middle East, along with select routes to Europe on March 11, Wednesday.
What ministry of civil aviation said
On Tuesday the civil aviation ministry said that it is ‘closely monitoring developments’ in West Asia and their potential implications for air travel between India and the region, adding that airlines are making appropriate operational arrangements in response to the flaring situation there, while passenger safety and continuity of services remain the top priority.
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The ministry also said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has coordinated with the relevant authorities to facilitate additional arrival and departure slots and to permit the use of the Muscat International Airport as an en route alternate airport for flights to/from destinations including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ras-al-Khaimah, Al-Alan, Fujairah, Jeddah and Medinah.
