Iran War: 164 Maharashtrians Stranded In UAE Land In Mumbai On Special Flights Arranged By Eknath Shinde
Two aircraft carrying 76 and 88 tourists landed at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai at around 10 pm on Tuesday.
Published : March 4, 2026 at 11:15 AM IST
Mumbai: A total of 164 tourists from Maharashtra stranded in the UAE due to the US-Israel-Iran conflict landed in Mumbai on Tuesday night in the two aircraft arranged by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Two aircraft carrying 76 and 88 tourists landed at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport here at around 10 pm. These included 84 students from the Pune-based Indira School of Business Studies and residents from Thane, Ahilyanagar, and Pune, a Shiv Sena functionary said.
The special fights were arranged by Shinde, who heads the Shiv Sena, the party leader said. Earlier on Tuesday, Shinde's office in a statement said that two flights carrying stranded Maharashtra residents would take off for Mumbai from the UAE’s Fujairah Airport at 3.30 pm and 4.30 pm. The deputy chief minister has been in constant touch with those from the state stranded in the UAE since the West Asia conflict started on Saturday.
The Shiv Sena, headed by Shinde, had deputed three of its MLAs, Murji Patel, Dilip Lande and Mangesh Kudalkar, to receive the passengers on their arrival from the UAE. Upon arriving at the Mumbai airport, the returnees cheered, "Ganpati Bappa Morya," and thanked Shinde for his help during this time of need.
“Shiv Sena succeeded today in bringing back to the homeland many citizens of Maharashtra who were stranded in Dubai. The passengers who departed from Fujairah Airport returned safely to Mumbai tonight,” Shinde said in a post on X, crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for their leadership.
He further said it gave satisfaction to give relief to the residents who were under tremendous pressure. "It is a great sense of satisfaction and joy that we have succeeded in providing relief to the citizens of Maharashtra who were trapped in crisis and to their relatives who were under immense mental stress," he said.
The state government, in coordination with the Indian People's Forum in Dubai, has also issued a WhatsApp helpline number +971 50 365 4357 for stranded citizens who require assistance.
US President Donald Trump has said that the heavy and pinpoint bombing of Iran would continue through the week or as long as necessary. In the wake of the situation, many airspaces in West Asia have been closed, causing massive flight disruptions and leaving passengers stranded.
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