West Asia crisis: IndiGo to operate 10 relief flights from Jeddah on Tue

IndiGo has planned to operate 10 special relief flights from Jeddah to India on Tuesday to facilitate the return of passengers stranded there due to the recent West Asia conflict, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said on Monday.

 

“IndiGo is coordinating with the Consulate General of India at Jeddah for passenger facilitation,” the ministry added.

 

About 357 flights were cancelled on Monday, though operations began gradually resuming by evening with stranded Indian aircraft returning home.

 

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) said on X on Monday night that foreign carriers operating between India and the Gulf region have now started operating limited flights, subject to operational and airspace considerations.

 

“Due to the ongoing situation, 357 flights planned for operation today were cancelled,” the ministry said.

 

The disruption followed strikes carried out by the US and Israel on Iran last Saturday, triggering a fresh conflict in the region and leading multiple carriers to suspend and reroute flights as a precaution.

 

The ministry said it was closely tracking passenger grievances through the Passenger Assistance Control Room (PACR) and ensuring prompt redressal on priority. A total of 559 grievances were addressed during this period through AirSewa, social media platforms and dedicated helpline calls, in coordination with airlines and other stakeholders, it noted.

 

Industry executives said several Indian aircraft that had been stranded at airports across the Gulf over the past two days were now returning to India as airspace restrictions eased in phases.

 

In a statement on X, Emirates said it would begin operating a limited number of flights from the evening of March 2. “We are accommodating customers with earlier bookings as a priority, and those who have been rebooked to travel on these limited flights will be contacted directly by Emirates. Please do not go to the airport unless you have been notified,” the airline said.

 

Dubai Airports confirmed that a limited resumption of operations would begin on Sunday evening, with a small number of flights permitted to operate from Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International Airport.

 

Meanwhile, Air India Express said it would resume flight operations to and from Muscat starting March 3, with scheduled services to Delhi, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangaluru, Mumbai and Tiruchirappally.