Dubai-Abu Dhabi LIVE Updates: PM Modi Holds Talks With Oman's Sultan, Kuwait Crown Prince; Over 250 Flights Cancelled At Four Indian Airports Today

Chandni Chowk MP Praveen Khandelwal on Tuesday said that his daughter, who was stranded in Dubai for the last three days amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, returned safely to India. Khandelwal said his daughter had travelled to Dubai on a business trip and was unable to return due to flight cancellations.

"As a father, the last few days were filled with worry and uncertainty. Her safe return this morning is an emotional and reassuring moment for us," he said.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde informed that two special flights have been urgently arranged to safely bring back 164 tourists and citizens from Maharashtra who are stranded in Dubai. All of them are expected to return safely to Mumbai by evening.

Low-cost carrier IndiGo announced that in view of the evolving situation in the Middle East and Persian Gulf, it has begun repatriation efforts aligned with the relevant authorities in India and the respective governments.

Four such flights are now en route to Jeddah and one is expected to be operated to and from Muscat, later in the day. "From Wednesday, more scheduled flights and seat capacity are expected to be offered. IndiGo will be reinstating select flights as part of a carefully planned restoration of its schedule, with safety as the topmost priority. Operations are expected to be resumed to the following destinations in line with prevailing airspace conditions and necessary approvals: Middle East: Muscat, Jeddah, Madinah; Europe: Athens. The total works out to 13 return flights (26 sectors)," according to an IndiGo statement.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held separate telephonic conversations with Sultan Haitham bin Tarik of Oman and Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamed Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, Crown Prince of Kuwait. PM Modi expressed concern over attacks on two countries during the ongoing conflict. PM Modi also discussed about the welfare and security of the Indian community residing there.

Oman downed two drones, while another crashed near its Salalah port on Tuesday, state media said, as Iran continues to target civilian and military infrastructure in the Gulf over US and Israeli attacks. The Oman News Agency, in a statement, said, "A security source reported that two drones were shot down over the Dhofar Governorate, and a third crashed near the port of Salalah area, with no casualties or material damage reported."

Amid the ongoing Middle East conflict, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has asked all international airport operators in the country to provide details about available fuel stocks as well as estimated requirements for the next seven days, PTI reported on Tuesday, quoting sources.

The communication, it said, comes against the backdrop of the escalating conflict in the Middle East involving the US, Israel and Iran that threatens to impact global oil supplies.

One of the sources said the details have been sought as a "precautionary measure" to have a clear understanding about the fuel supply situation at the international airports. The sources said that following directions from the civil aviation ministry, AAI has sought details about the current fuel supply status from all the international airport operators.

The operators have also been asked to provide details about average daily fuel consumption, estimated fuel requirement for the next seven days and date of next scheduled fuel replenishment, the sources said. India has 33 international airports, including at Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai.

More than 250 flights were cancelled at Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai airports on Tuesday due to the Middle East conflict, PTI reported officials said. For the fourth day, flight operations continued to be disrupted as airlines cancelled flights amid the escalating conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran. As many as 80 flights were cancelled at the Delhi airport while 107 services were cancelled at the Mumbai airport. At Bangalore, at least 42 flights have been cancelled for the day.

In a post on X, Chennai airport said 30 flights have been cancelled. The numbers include departures and arrivals. Since the Middle East crisis erupted on February 28, Indian airlines have cancelled 1,117 international flights in the last three days.

"Given the changing geopolitical situation in the Middle East, some west-bound international flights may be subject to delays or operational adjustments," Delhi airport operator DIAL said in a post on X.

Several Indians who were stranded in the Middle East due to the ongoing war between Iran and US-Israel, landed in India on Tuesday. At Mumbai airport, Viskha, a passenger returning from Dubai, expressed her happiness.

"We are here now, so we are happy. There, we had a company group of 580 people. All are coming back on different flights," she said. Earlier today, an Air India flight from Dubai carrying 149 passengers and eight operating crew members landed at Delhi International Airport.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has postponed Class 10 and Class 12 board examinations scheduled for Thursday (March 5) and Friday (March 6) in seven Middle East countries, given the escalating situation in the region.

The Board, in a circular issued on Tuesday, said that after a critical review of the current situation in parts of the Middle East, including Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), it has decided to postpone the examinations scheduled for Thursday and Friday, for both Class X and Class XII. The new dates would be announced later, it said. Read More...

Several westbound international flights from IGI Airport were delayed due to operational disruptions caused by the escalating conflict in the Middle East, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) said on Tuesday. The airport officials urged the passengers to check the latest flight updates and consider alternate routes for travelling.

"Passengers are advised to check the latest updates with their respective airlines before travelling to the airport and, if necessary, consider alternate routes or connections suggested by the airline," Delhi airport operator DIAL said in a post on X.

"All other flight operations are running as per schedule," it added. Delhi airport handles more than 1,300 flights daily. In the last three days, Indian airlines cancelled 1,117 overseas flights due to the crisis in the Middle East.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday arranged two special aircraft to rescue citizens stranded in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to the ongoing war between Iran and US-Israel.

The closure of Middle Eastern airspace had left several Indians, including Maharashtrians, stuck in Dubai and surrounding regions, prompting immediate intervention from the leadership. Following personal coordination by the Deputy CM of Maharashtra, two special Star Air flights are scheduled to depart from Fujairah Airport on Tuesday, Flight VTGSO: Scheduled takeoff at 3:30 PM and Flight VTGSH: Scheduled takeoff at 4:30 PM, said Dy CM Shinde’s office in a release.

A total of 164 passengers are expected to touch down at Mumbai Airport between 5:30 PM and 7 PM on Tuesday. The group includes 84 students from Pune’s Indira School of Business Studies, along with residents from Thane, Murbad, Ahilyanagar, and other parts of the state, said the release.

Amid the ongoing West Asia situation, Air India on Tuesday welcomed passengers and crew arriving from Dubai at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi.

This marked the first international arrival by an Indian carrier into the national capital today (March 3), 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."

Indian badminton star PV Sindhu has returned safely to Bengaluru after what she described as "intense and uncertain" days in Dubai amid escalating tensions in West Asia. Sindhu, who was travelling to Birmingham via DUbai for the All England Championships, was stranded due to widespread flight disruptions linked to the regional conflict. Her journey was halted as services were affected across the Gulf.

In a social media post, Sindu expressed relief at being back home and thanked ground teams, Dubai authorities, airport staff and immigration officials for their support during the difficult period. She said their empathy and professionalism meant a great deal.

Relief was writ large on the faces of Indian passengers who arrived at the Kempegowda International Airport here from the UAE, ending a period of high tension fueled by the conflict in West Asia.

Upon arrival on Monday night, the passengers recollected the tense moments of a missile attack in the Gulf nation, before flying towards safety.

Travellers thanked Etihad Airways, the Abu Dhabi government and the Indian government for ensuring their safety and providing accommodation and transport during the disruption.

Tech giant Amazon said two of its data centres in the United Arab Emirates were hit by drones, while a separate strike near one of its facilities in Bahrain caused physical damage to infrastructure. In a statement posted on its website, the company said the attacks led to structural damage and disrupted power supply to parts of its infrastructure. Amazon did not attributeresponsibility for the strikes. The company said it is working to restore full service availability as quickly as possible but cautioned that recovery may take time due to the extent of the physical damage.

Responding to concerns over the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said that the state government has not received any official communication so far. He said, "Regarding those stranded in Dubai and other places, the Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary have written to the Government of India to ensure their safety and facilitate their return to Karnataka. Many Indians are stranded there and need to be brought back. I believe the Government of India is also taking the necessary steps in this regard."

Five people from two families from Uttar Pradesh who had travelled to Dubai for a pre-wedding shoot are among hundreds of Indians stranded in the city amid the disruption of flight services due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Prince Jain (27), who is scheduled to get married in April, had travelled to Dubai along with his fiancée Payal Jain (26). Prince's younger brother Arihant (19), Payal's brother Monu Jain (30) and his wife Muskan (28) had accompanied them.

"They are staying at a hotel near the Burj Khalifa. However, due to the Iran conflict and the escalating tensions in the region, flight services were suspended and they could not return as planned," said Ajay Jain, a coal trader and resident of Chandauli district

According to Ajay Jain, they reached Dubai on February 27 and were scheduled to return on March 2. Jain said the stranded family members contacted the Indian embassy in Dubai and were advised to reach out to the airline concerned, but they have not received clarity on their return. He appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene and ensure the safe return of his children and relatives at the earliest.

Indian airlines to operate special relief flights from the Middle East on Tuesday to facilitate the return of passengers, stranded there due to the closure of airspaces in the Middle East amid the escalating conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran. IndiGo has planned to operate 10 special relief flights from Jeddah to India on Tuesday, according to the Ministry of Civil Aviation. SpiceJet said it will operate four special flights from the UAE on March 3 to facilitate the return of Indian nationals stranded there following the sudden closure of airspace.

The Centre on Monday said it is in touch with Indian missions in the Gulf region to ensure the safe return of stranded Indian nationals as state governments across the country stepped up efforts to assist such residents. Read More..

SpiceJet on Tuesday said it will operate four special flights from Fujairah in the UAE to bring back stranded passengers. Flight operations have been disrupted due to the close of airspaces in the Middle East amid the escalating conflict involving US, Israel and Iran.

In a statement, SpiceJet said it would operate four special flights to connect Fujairah with Delhi, Mumbai and Kochi on Tuesday and for the next few days. Out of them, two flights would be operated to Mumbai. The airline is also exploring the possibility of operating more special flights, subject to passenger requirements and regulatory approvals. SpiceJet will restore its scheduled Fujairah-Delhi and Fujairah-Mumbai flights from March 4, the statement read.

Earlier, it had said that due to airspace closure in Dubai (DXB), some of its flights may be affected. Passengers have been advised to check their flight status at http://spicejet.com/#status or contact our 24*7 Reservation Helpline numbers at +91 (0)124 4983410 or +91 (0)124 7101600 for assistance.

Following disruptions triggered by the escalating West Asian tensions, flight operations gradually resumed from the conflict region, as an Emirates flight from Dubai to Mumbai landed safely at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on Tuesday morning. Emirates flight EK 500 arrived in Mumbai amid tight coordination between airport authorities and airline officials, bringing relief to stranded passengers who had been facing uncertainty over the past few days due to widespread cancellations and delays.

Amid the flight disruptions in the wake of the Israel-Iran conflict, the first flight from Abu Dhabi landed at the Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru, on Monday night. A passenger said, "... Once we got stuck in the Abu Dhabi airport, Etihad Airways took good care of us. They booked the hotels for all the passengers whose flights were cancelled."

On Sunday evening, four special evacuation flights carrying Indian passengers from Abu Dhabi reached different cities in India. The services were operated by Etihad Airways to bring back Indians who were stranded in the UAE. One flight landed in Mumbai at around 7:40 PM, the second reached Delhi at around 8 PM. The flight to Bengaluru touched down at about 9:45 PM, while Kochi flight landed at around 10:10 PM. These flights were arranged as part of efforts to facilitate the return of Indian nationals from Abu Dhabi, sources said.