New Delhi, April 26: Iran's airspace has been partially reopened for cargo and chartered flights, but the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has strongly advised Indian nationals to refrain from travelling to the country. Those already present in Iran have been urged to exit through land border routes with full support from the Indian Embassy in Tehran, the MEA announced on Sunday, April 26.

Iran Evacuation and Airspace Status

As of the latest update, the Indian Embassy in Tehran has successfully facilitated the departure of 2,445 Indian nationals from Iran via land border crossings. This coordinated evacuation effort reflects the government's escalating concern over the safety of its citizens amid ongoing regional tensions.

Despite the partial reopening of Iran's airspace, the MEA's advisory remains firm — civilian air travel to Iran is strongly discouraged. The partial access is limited strictly to cargo and charter operations, not commercial passenger services.

Flight Operations Across Gulf Nations

In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), airlines are maintaining limited commercial flight operations to India based on prevailing safety and operational assessments. Approximately 110 flights are expected to operate between the UAE and India on Sunday alone, offering significant relief to stranded passengers.

Saudi Arabia and Oman continue to operate flights from multiple airports to various Indian destinations. Qatar's airspace has been partially restored, with Qatar Airways resuming services to several cities across India.

Kuwait's airspace is fully open, with both Jazeera Airways and Kuwait Airways having resumed limited flight operations to India. Bahrain's airspace is also open, with Gulf Air operating flights from Manama to multiple Indian destinations.

Israel's airspace is currently open, and limited flight operations have resumed to regional destinations, which can serve as transit points for onward travel to India. Similarly, Iraq's airspace is open with limited regional connectivity that can be utilised for connections back to India.

Indian Seafarers and Community Welfare

The Indian government has accorded high priority to the welfare of Indian seafarers operating vessels in the region. Indian missions are actively coordinating with local authorities, providing consular assistance, and facilitating repatriation requests for crew members.

Indian missions across the Gulf are also maintaining close engagement with the broader Indian diaspora, including community associations, professional groups, Indian-owned businesses, and other stakeholder organisations to ensure timely dissemination of safety information.

Scale of the Evacuation and Travel Movement

Since February 28, approximately 12,96,000 passengers have travelled from the Gulf region to India — a staggering figure that underscores both the scale of the crisis and the logistical effort mounted by Indian authorities.

All Indian missions and consular posts in the region are operating round-the-clock helplines and are proactively assisting Indian nationals. Regular advisories are being issued covering local government directives, flight updates, travel conditions, and consular services.

Broader Implications and What to Watch

This situation comes amid a broader pattern of Middle East geopolitical instability that has periodically disrupted aviation corridors critical to India's Gulf diaspora — estimated at over 9 million people, the largest Indian community abroad. The MEA's swift response, including land-border evacuations and airline coordination, mirrors protocols developed during earlier crises such as Operation Ajay (Israel, 2023) and Operation Ganga (Ukraine, 2022), signalling an increasingly institutionalised evacuation framework.

Notably, the partial reopening of multiple Gulf airspaces suggests the immediate threat of a wider regional conflict may be stabilising, though the situation remains fluid. Indian nationals and their families should monitor MEA advisories closely as airspace access and flight schedules are subject to rapid change. Further normalisation of Gulf air corridors is expected in the coming days if the regional security situation continues to de-escalate.