SpiceJet to operate 13 special flights from UAE on March 5 for stranded Indians

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SpiceJet will operate thirteen special flights from the United Arab Emirates on March 5 to facilitate the return of Indian nationals stranded in the Gulf nation.

Of these, twelve flights will originate from Fujairah and one from Dubai. The airline has scheduled seven services to Mumbai, five to Delhi and one flight on the Dubai–Mumbai sector to provide additional travel capacity.

The special operations follow similar arrangements on March 3 and 4, when SpiceJet operated 12 flights from the UAE to transport stranded passengers to India, including connections to Mumbai, Delhi and Kochi.

A large swath of West Asian airspace has been closed after the recent military escalation in the region, forcing airlines across the world to suspend, divert or cancel operations. Authorities in Iran, Iraq, Israel, Syria, Kuwait, Qatar and United Arab Emirates have imposed full or partial restrictions on flight movement.

The disruption has been sharp and swift. Indian carriers alone cancelled 1,117 international flights in the three days starting February 28, while the global aviation network has seen thousands of additional cancellations and schedule changes.