The United States and Israel attack Iran: Regular charter flights will be used for repatriation

New Delhi: India is working to repatriate thousands of travelers stranded in West Asian countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Qatar since February 28 through chartered and scheduled flights from nearby open airspace points such as Saudi Arabia and Muscat.With scheduled flights canceled in places like the United Arab Emirates, airports there, including two hubs in Dubai, are offering charter flight slots. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Tuesday asked Indian airlines and non-scheduled flight operators to seek as many flights as possible. Air India plans to fly 58 flights on March 4, including 30 flights by IndiGo and 23 flights by Air India Group.“Airlines and non-scheduled flight operators have been warned not to increase fares. If stranded passengers holding tickets travel on the same airline, the fare difference should not be charged,” officials said after a meeting held by Director General of Civil Aviation Faiz Ahmed Kidwai.The meeting follows a detailed review by the project office of the crisis in West Asia, including the evacuation of Indians and the impact on fuel supplies and shipping. The meeting was attended by Aviation Minister Samir Sinha and senior officials of the Home, External Affairs, Defence, Petroleum and Shipping Ministries.Sinha and Kidwai, in coordination with the MEA, developed a repatriation plan based on developments. In addition to scheduled flights to Saudi Arabia and Muscat, the airline will provide updates on charter flight slots from the UAE in the morning and evening hours.Some prominent Indian business leaders flew to Delhi from Dubai World Central (Dubai’s secondary airport) on Tuesday night in one of the first private jets authorized to fly to India. As a Bombardier Global 6000 aircraft registered in India, the aircraft had to take a longer route home, bypassing Pakistani airspace.Air India has begun deploying wide-body aircraft, including Boeing 777s and B787s, on routes from Delhi and Mumbai to Jeddah and Dubai, and the return legs are expected to be operated at full capacity. IndiGo operates flights to Jeddah and Muscat and is working on offering services to Emirates stations. AI Express, SpiceJet and Akasa also operate flights to the region.Officials added that the main strategy is to recover crew and aircraft in West Asia, after which evacuation and passenger recovery flights will be expanded through Jeddah, Muscat and other airports.