Air India plane arrives in Delhi with 149 passengers from Dubai, amid West Asia situation
New Delhi, March 3
In a significant development amid the ongoing West Asia situation, Air India on Tuesday welcomed passengers and crew arriving from Dubai onboard Flight at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi.
This marked the first international arrival by an Indian carrier into the national capital today, carrying 149 passengers and eight operating crew members, the airline said.
In the Air India Newsroom's X post, it said, "We are happy to welcome our guests and crew from Dubai aboard flight AI916D. This is the first flight by an Indian carrier to arrive in New Delhi today with 149 passengers and 8 operating crew members onboard, amid the ongoing situation in the Middle East. "
The Airline expressed gratitude to its teams and authorities, stating, "A heartfelt thank you to our teams, the Government of India, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and the local authorities in Dubai for their continued cooperation and for making this homecoming possible."
Meanwhile, Dubai Airports confirmed that a limited resumption of operations would begin on the evening of March 2 (Monday), with a small number of flights permitted to operate from Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC).
With flights gradually taking to the skies once again, normalcy is slowly returning to the UAE, and for the thousands of Indians eager to get home, the wait is finally coming to an end.
However, authorities urged caution. Travellers have been advised not to proceed to DXB or DWC unless they have been contacted directly by their airline with a confirmed departure time.
Following the US-Israel strikes against Iran on February 28, Iran launched a wave of retaliatory attacks, using drones and missiles targeting multiple Arab countries in the region as a retaliatory action, which resulted in flight cancellations.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good to see flights resuming. My cousin was stuck there for 3 days. The uncertainty was the worst part. Hope the government continues to facilitate more such flights for all Indians stranded.
While this is positive news, we must also think about the thousands still waiting. The communication from airlines needs to be much clearer. Many people are confused about whether to go to the airport or not.
Working in Dubai, this has been a stressful week. Seeing an Indian carrier land safely in Delhi brings a sense of security. Kudos to the pilots and crew for operating in such conditions.
This is what we expect from our national carrier during a crisis – to step up and bring our people home. Jai Hind! 🇮🇳 Hope the situation in West Asia de-escalates soon for everyone's sake.
A small step towards normalcy, but a very important one. The economic impact on Indians working in the UAE due to these flight cancellations is massive. Let's hope the skies stay open now.
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