Kuwait to launch first direct flight to India after February 28 on Sunday; Eyes tentatively resumed

NEW DELHI: Amid an elusive ceasefire in the West Asian war, air traffic to the most isolated parts of the region has begun to gradually and tentatively resume. After February 28, Sunday saw the first direct flights from Kuwait to India and a number of other countries. As of now, Al Jazeera Kuwait is developing weekly plans to follow the evolution of the situation in the region. Gulf Air has started operating flights between Bahrain International Airport and destinations in India since April 21. However, the UAE has yet to open its doors to foreign airlines, including from India this summer.Indians are the largest exit group among the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. While Bahrain and Kuwait have been hardest hit in terms of air connectivity, Qatar and the UAE have limited flights. Only Oman and Saudi Arabia have scheduled flights. A senior official of an Indian airline said: “As of now, Saudi airspace is almost fully open and at the level before February 28.” Iran also plans to open its airspace.“It is a pleasure to operate the first flight to India from Kuwait International Airport when it reopens (Sunday). India stands with Kuwait,” Indian Ambassador to Kuwait Paramita Tripathi said as Kuwait International Airport resumed its first direct flight after 57 days of closure. On the first day, the airline operated flights from Kuwait to Beirut, Cairo, Istanbul and Mumbai. The flights will begin this week from Kuwait to places like Delhi and Kochi.Jazeera Airways’ Indian-origin CEO Barathan Pasupathi told TOI: “The network (outside Kuwait) will gradually develop. We operate Kuwait airport from 8 am to 4 pm as per the guidelines. We will have 14 direct flights to Delhi, Mumbai and Cochin this week. To and from all other (Indian) cities we operate via Daman. We will gradually move towards direct. “The airline started operating flights to and from Dammam, Saudi Arabia, after February 28.As part of temporary operating procedures, passengers are asked to update their passport information 12 hours before flight departure. Al Jazeera’s Pasupati added: “Sunday’s flight from Al Jazeera Terminal 5 marks a decisive milestone in the restoration of our direct connections to Kuwait. This is beyond the recovery of these six routes. It represents the restoration of direct connectivity to our communities and reaffirms the role we play in keeping people and vital supply chains moving in and out of Kuwait.As of May 2, Jazeera Airways has scheduled 48 flights to Beirut, Cairo, Istanbul, Mumbai, Amman, Damascus, Delhi, Cochin, Jeddah and Riyadh. The Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia has started preparations for Hajj tourists from the country. “Ambassador Suheil Khan visited Mecca and supervised the arrangements for Indian pilgrims. He also received the first batch of Indian pilgrims who arrived in Mecca from Madinah by train,” reports said on Sunday.