New Delhi, April 24 — The flight situation across West Asia and the Gulf is steadily improving, a senior Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official said, with Kuwaiti and Israeli airspace now open and limited commercial services resuming from the region to India.
Aseem R Mahajan, Additional Secretary (Gulf) at the MEA, spoke at an inter-ministerial press briefing in New Delhi and said additional flights have been operating to various destinations in India. Since February 28, 1,238,000 passengers have travelled from the region to India, he added.
Mahajan reported that Kuwait’s airspace is open and that Jazeera Airways and Kuwait Airways have announced plans to resume limited flights from Kuwait to India shortly. Both carriers continue to operate non-scheduled commercial services from Dammam in Saudi Arabia to several Indian destinations. He also confirmed that Israel’s airspace is open and limited flights to regional destinations have resumed, providing onward connectivity to India.
The Additional Secretary said airlines are running restricted services between the UAE and India based on operational and safety considerations. Around 110 flights were expected to operate from the UAE to India on the day of the briefing. Flights are also operating from airports across Saudi Arabia and Oman to different Indian cities.
Other regional developments noted by Mahajan:
– Qatar’s airspace remains partially open, and Qatar Airways is operating flights to various Indian destinations.
– Bahrain’s airspace is open, with Gulf Airways operating services from Bahrain to India.
– Iraq’s airspace is open with limited flights to neighbouring destinations that can be used for onward travel to India.
– Iran’s airspace is partially open for cargo and charter operations.
The MEA reiterated its advisory for Indian nationals to avoid travelling to Iran and urged those already in Iran to leave using land border routes, which the embassy in Tehran is assisting to facilitate. To date, the Indian embassy has helped move 2,432 Indian nationals out of Iran into Armenia and Azerbaijan; this group includes 1,096 students and 657 fishermen.
MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said a serious situation continues to exist in Iran and the wider region despite the occurrence of a ceasefire, and praised the Indian ambassador and embassy team in Tehran for their sustained efforts. “With their support, we have been able to safely evacuate more than 2,400 Indian citizens,” he said, commending the embassy’s commitment.
Mahajan stressed that the welfare of Indian seafarers in the region remains a high priority. Indian missions are providing consular help, coordinating with local authorities and agencies, and assisting with requests for return.
The MEA said it is closely monitoring developments across the Gulf and West Asia and continues to prioritise the safety and welfare of the large Indian community there. A dedicated special control room at the ministry is operational to handle queries from Indian nationals and their families. The MEA is issuing updated advisories covering local government guidelines, flight and travel status, consular services and welfare measures being implemented for Indians in the region.
