New Delhi, March 7 (NationPress) — The resumption of air travel between India and the Gulf region is slowly taking place, following disturbances caused by the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict. Airlines such as Air India and IndiGo have declared both special and scheduled flights on Saturday to assist in bringing back stranded travelers.

Flight operations connecting India with various destinations in the Middle East had faced significant disruption after several nations in West Asia temporarily halted their airspace due to the conflict. This led to numerous cancellations and left countless travelers stranded throughout the Gulf.

As some airspaces begin to reopen, airports in cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi have partially resumed their operations, enabling airlines to restart a limited number of flights primarily focused on evacuating stranded passengers and ensuring critical connectivity.

In a statement shared on X, Air India announced: “Air India and Air India Express are continuing to operate scheduled flights to/from Jeddah and Muscat, which have been assessed as safe for operations. Additional non-scheduled flights are set to operate to and from Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Muscat, Ras Al-Khaimah, and Sharjah on March 7, facilitating the return of stranded passengers to India. Our services to Europe and North America continue to operate normally using safe alternative routes.”

According to the airline, combined operations of Air India and Air India Express will cover around 50 flights on March 7, linking India with six Gulf cities: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Jeddah, Ras Al Khaimah, and Sharjah.

These operations include both regular scheduled flights and additional non-scheduled flights made possible after the reopening of airspace over Saudi Arabia and Oman, allowing airlines to partly resume their services.

The flights will connect a variety of major Indian cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangaluru, and Thiruvananthapuram with multiple destinations throughout the Gulf region.

Air India stated that these additional services have been specifically introduced to assist passengers stuck in the area during this crisis. The airline has confirmed that the special flights are being operated after receiving the necessary approvals from Indian authorities and aviation regulators in the Gulf.

IndiGo has also communicated a limited resumption of its Middle Eastern flights, operating services to five destinations in the region on Saturday.

The airline acknowledges that many travelers are still trying to reach their intended destinations and has devised a limited flight schedule while closely monitoring the evolving situation.

However, disruptions still persist. On March 7, IndiGo has canceled 144 of its international flights due to ongoing airspace restrictions throughout the region.