Parliament Question: Special evacuation flights for Indians from West Asia

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 3379 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 23rd March 2026 SPECIAL EVACUATION FLIGHTS FOR INDIANS FROM WEST ASIA 3379. DR. MEDHA VISHRAM KULKARNI SHRI BABUBHAI JESANGBHAI DESAI Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION be pleased to state:- (a) whether Government has operated or facilitated special evacuation flights by Indian carriers such as IndiGo, Air India and Air India Express from cities like Jeddah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi to bring back stranded Indian nationals during the recent tensions in West Asia in March, 2026; (b) if so, the number of such flights operated and passengers, repatriated, particularly from the States of Maharashtra and Gujarat; (c) whether Mumbai and Ahmedabad were used as major landing points for these evacuation flights; and (d) if so, the steps taken by Government to address grievances and provide assistance to affected passengers, and if not, the reasons therefor? ANSWER Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION (Shri Murlidhar Mohol) (a) to (c): Scheduled flights were operated by Indian carriers such as IndiGo, Air India and Air India Express from cities in West Asia, including Jeddah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi to bring back stranded Indian nationals from West Asia in March, 2026. As on 17.03.2026, 721 scheduled flights were operated by Indian operators, carrying 1,19,458 passengers. Mumbai and Ahmedabad were among the landing points for these flights. (d): The following steps have been taken to provide assistance to the affected passengers: i. Control Rooms are operational in the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Ministry of External Affairs. ii. Airlines extended full refunds and permitted rescheduling without additional charges. iii. Real-time updates were disseminated through airport display systems and social media platforms. iv. Dedicated help desks were set up at international airports. Passengers were advised to confirm the flight status prior to proceeding to airports. v. AirSewa platform was utilized for monitoring and redressal of passenger grievances. ******