12 Lakh Passengers Travelled to India from West Asia Amid Conflict: MEA
New Delhi: Amid the evolving security situation in West Asia and the Gulf, over 12 lakh people have returned to India from the region, a senior government official said. He also emphasized that regular flights from many countries to various points in India continue.
The details were provided by Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Additional Secretary (Gulf) Aseem R Mahajan during an inter-ministerial briefing in the national capital on Thursday.
Noting that the general flight situation continues to improve with additional flights from the region to various destinations in India, Mahajan said, “Approximately 12 lakh 12 thousand passengers have traveled from the region to India since February 28.”
“Airlines continue to operate limited commercial flights between the UAE and India due to operational and security issues. Approximately 110 flights are expected to operate from UAE to India today. Flights are operated from airports in Saudi Arabia and Oman to different destinations in India. Qatar’s airspace is partially open. Qatar Airways operates flights to various destinations in India,” he said.
Noting that Kuwaiti airspace was closed, Mahajan said that Jazeera Airways and Kuwait Airlines continue to operate non-scheduled commercial flights from Dammam airport in Saudi Arabia to various destinations in India.
“Gulf Air operates flights from Bahrain to various destinations in India. Iraqi airspace is open and flight operations to destinations in the region are limited, which can be used for onward travel to India,” he said.
Mahajan also said that Iranian airspace is partially open to cargo and charter flights. “Our embassy in Tehran continues to facilitate Indian citizens to travel to India via Armenia and Azerbaijan. So far, 2,428 Indian citizens have moved from Iran to Armenia and Azerbaijan. This includes 1,096 Indian students and 657 Indian fishermen.
“Israeli airspace and limited flight operations have resumed to destinations in the region, which can be used for travel to India,” he said.
Mahajan assured that the welfare of Indian seafarers in the region remains a high priority for the government and stated that the missions are providing them with all assistance, including coordination with local authorities and organisations, extending consular assistance and assisting with their requests to return to India.
Highlighting how the MEA works round the clock to ensure the safety, security and welfare of the greater Indian community, the Additional Secretary said that the dedicated control room in the ministry is functional to respond to queries from Indian citizens and their families.
“We are in constant touch with state governments and Union territories to share the latest recommendations and align our efforts. Our embassies and consulates in the region operate 24-hour helplines to provide timely assistance. They are proactively assisting our citizens. They are also in close touch with local governments,” Mahajan said.
