Iran War | Gurugram Man Narrates His Ordeal In Dubai Upon His Return To New Delhi
Amid escalating Middle East tensions, stranded Indian passengers returned home via alternative routes as airlines operated special relief flights.
Published : March 3, 2026 at 5:08 PM IST
|Updated : March 3, 2026 at 8:02 PM IST
By Surabhi Gupta
New Delhi: As tensions escalate in the Middle East due to the ongoing Israeli-US-Iran war, hundreds of Indian passengers have found themselves stranded across the region. There are many families back in India talking about their loved one’s unbelievable journey back to the country.
One of those examples is Piyush, a resident of Gurugram in Haryana, who had left for London shortly after being married on February 14, 2026, on his honeymoon. He was to take a direct flight initially, but could not travel directly, so he checked into an airline to fly through Dubai to Germany and wait on the plane for three hours on February 28 before flying to London. However, due to conflict and the subsequent closure of airspace, all of the airports in the Middle East received notification and halted all of their operations.
Piyush described witnessing missile interceptions in Dubai. "I heard the sound and saw smoke in the sky. That's when I realised the situation was serious," he said. With flights suspended and uncertainty mounting, he decided not to wait for normalcy to return. Instead, he travelled by road from Dubai to Oman via the Hatta border and managed to board a flight from there to Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. His return brought immense relief to his family.
Piyush’s father, who had come to receive him at the airport, said the family had been deeply worried. "He and my daughter-in-law (Anshika) were supposed to go to London for their honeymoon. But Anshika couldn’t get a ticket, so she had to travel later. Piyush had studied in London earlier, so he left first. When he got stuck in Dubai, we were very tense. I kept praying that he would return safely," he said.
Another passenger, Shaumya Ranjan, who runs businesses in Dubai and Sri Lanka, also had to alter his travel plans amid the uncertainty. Speaking to ETV Bharat, he said he had fortunately reached Sri Lanka just before the situation worsened.
"I have business in Dubai and Sri Lanka. Thankfully, I came to Sri Lanka right before this war situation started. From there, I travelled to India as I had some work. The situation is not good there. I am thankful to God that I reached India before things got worse," he said.
Babbar Shahi, a Muradabad resident working in marketing in Riyadh, told ETV Bharat that airfares had surged sharply amid the crisis. "Today, tickets are priced at ₹65,000 (around 2,500 Riyals). I had booked mine 15 days earlier for ₹12000 as I already planned for coming to India, so I was lucky," he said.
He added that the Indian Embassy had advised citizens not to step out of their rooms. “The SIM cards issued there are from a government agency, and we received official messages from the embassy informing us that the airspace has been closed," Shahi said.
Thousands of Indian nationals in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) faced cancellations and long delays as flights were grounded. In response, Indian carriers have begun operating special relief services. According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, IndiGo plans to operate 10 special flights from Jeddah to India to help bring back stranded passengers.
SpiceJet has announced four special flights from the UAE, operating from Fujairah to Delhi, Mumbai and Kochi. The airline said the move is aimed at facilitating the swift return of Indian nationals following sudden airspace closures. Additionally, SpiceJet will resume its scheduled flights between Fujairah and Delhi and Fujairah and Mumbai from March 4 to gradually restore connectivity.
On Monday night, a flight from Abu Dhabi carrying passengers affected by the Middle East tensions landed safely in New Delhi. An Emirates flight from Dubai also arrived at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on Tuesday morning, marking a step towards normalising operations.
As airlines work to restore normal schedules and special flights continue to operate, families across India remain anxious for loved ones still stranded abroad. Many individuals like Piyush and Shaumya have found their trip home to be completely different from what they had expected.
Meanwhile, IndiGo, in a statement issued, said, "In view of the evolving situation across the Middle East and the Persian Gulf, IndiGo has initiated repatriation efforts in coordination with Indian authorities and the respective governments in the region. Four relief flights are currently en route to Jeddah, while an additional service to and from Muscat is expected to operate later in the day."
"Starting March 4, 2026, the airline plans to progressively increase scheduled flights and seat capacity as part of a phased restoration of operations, with safety remaining its highest priority. Subject to prevailing airspace conditions and regulatory approvals, IndiGo intends to resume services to Muscat, Jeddah and Madinah in the Middle East, as well as Athens in Europe — amounting to a total of 13 return flights (26 sectors)," it said.
"The airline is also working on operating repatriation flights to destinations in the UAE on March 4, though these services will depend on the local situation and necessary clearances, with confirmation expected at a later stage. For other affected stations, IndiGo said it is closely monitoring developments and coordinating with authorities to secure slots and permits to gradually normalise its schedule. The airline continues to provide updates through its website and social media platforms, emphasising that the safety and security of passengers, crew and aircraft remain paramount amid the volatile circumstances," the airline said.
To assist stranded passengers, DIAL set up extra information desks and dispatched Quick Reaction Teams throughout their terminals as well as communicating through their Social Media channels.
They provided passengers with 1,500+ bottles of water, tea, and refreshments, plus hot meals while also providing hygiene kits and additional enhanced restroom facilities.
DIAL arranged for 400+ additional chairs, many of which were recliners, in the terminal as well as making available two additional medical response teams. Additionally, they were able to return approximately 3,000 bags from cancelled flights, and implemented additional processing zones within the International Transfer Area to facilitate efficient management of the disruption.
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