US-Iran conflict: How some Indians hacked their way home amid airspace closures

Flight cancellations due to Iran-US conflict

• Stranded Indians used road routes to Oman, Saudi for flights home
• Air India, Emirates, and SpiceJet resume special flights
• Flight prices surged due to limited capacity and high demand

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When airspace closures across the Middle East disrupted flights after the escalating conflict between the US-Israel and Iran, many stranded Indians improvised unconventional routes to get back home—sometimes travelling across borders by road before catching flights to India.

With flights cancelled or heavily restricted from key hubs such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi, several travellers began using neighbouring countries like Oman and Saudi Arabia as alternate gateways, taking buses, taxis and private cars across land borders to access operational international flights.

Alok K Singh, Chairman and CEO of SNVA Traveltech (Travomint), who is currently in Dubai and closely tracking developments, said the workaround quickly became a practical option for travellers.

“In the immediate aftermath of the conflict which caused major disruptions in Middle East airspace, many passengers began travelling by bus, taxi or private car from Dubai and Abu Dhabi to neighbouring countries such as Oman or Saudi Arabia. From there they boarded international flights,” Singh told Moneycontrol.

“This alternative route became a practical workaround for passengers seeking better connectivity or improved flight availability,” he added.

A 10-step 'hack' to get home

Among those who took the alternate route was Rahul Chowdhri, partner at Stellaris Venture Partners, who shared a detailed step-by-step workaround on X for stranded Indian travellers in Dubai trying to reach India via Muscat.

His route involved travelling from Dubai to the Hatta border, crossing into Oman, and then taking a cab to Muscat airport to catch flights to India.

The process included getting Oman visa on arrival for Indian passport holders with a US or UK visa (others need an e-visa). Then booking a flight from Muscat to any Indian city, taking a cab from Dubai to the Hatta border on the UAE side. Then completing UAE immigration, boarding a complimentary bus to cross into Oman, then taking a bus to Oman immigration.

Next steps included clearing immigration and baggage checks, taking a bus to a nearby petrol station, hiring a cab to Muscat, about a four-hour journey. Post which one can check into a hotel or head directly to the airport.

Chowdhri estimated the total travel cost to be 350–500 AED (around Rs 8,731- Rs 12,473) for the Dubai–Hatta taxi and about 200 OMR (around Rs 47,893) for the Hatta–Muscat journey, excluding the flight to India.

He noted that travellers who were not in a hurry could also wait as airlines gradually resumed flights. “Etihad has restarted some flights, so people can wait for that too,” he said.

On the other hand, an X user named Yashwant Deshmukh posted on how he made it to Dubai from India. He noted that flights from India to Muscat are operating normally and UAE residents and Indian passport holders with valid US visas can obtain a visa on arrival, while others can apply for an e-visa online in advance. he described immigration procedures at Muscat airport as smooth.

From Muscat, he opted for a six-hour road journey to reach Dubai. Options include booking a cab or renting a car for the cross-border drive.

He shared a taxi with four others heading toward Dubai, after arranging a vehicle through a local rental service in Muscat. “We’ve just started the drive from Muscat and should hopefully be home by dinner time,” the traveller said on X on March 3.

Flights slowly return

Limited direct flight operations from the UAE have now started resuming, though availability remains far below normal levels.

Singh said airlines such as Etihad Airways and flydubai have restarted select services, but connectivity is still constrained.

“While services are beginning to restart, overall availability remains restricted compared to previous levels,” he said.

Dubai Airports confirmed a partial resumption of operations from the evening of March 2 at Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International Airport, advising passengers to travel only after receiving confirmed departure information from airlines.

Special flights bring stranded Indians home

Air India brought back 149 passengers from Dubai on Tuesday as limited flights resume.

A special Emirates flight carrying 217 Indian passengers landed in Chennai early Tuesday. Etihad Airways also brought stranded passengers from Abu Dhabi to New Delhi.

The Ministry of Civil Aviaition in a statement said that IndiGo is launching 10 special relief operations from Jeddah to India on March 3, 2026.

Emirates has restarted a restricted number of flights prioritising rebooked passengers.

SpiceJet announced four special flights from Fujairah in the UAE to India, connecting the Emirate to Delhi, Mumbai and Kochi beginning March 3, with two flights scheduled for Mumbai.

The airline also said its regular Fujairah–Delhi and Fujairah–Mumbai flights would resume from March 4, while additional services may be added depending on demand and regulatory approvals.

Air India resumed flights to and from Muscat, though services to several Gulf destinations remained suspended temporarily.

Akasa Air also said it would operate select flights to and from Jeddah while suspending services to Abu Dhabi, Doha, Kuwait and Riyadh until March 4.

Relief comes at a steep price

Even as flights resume, the cost of travelling remains extremely high due to limited capacity.

Passengers reported fares of around Rs 63,500 per ticket for flights from Fujairah to Mumbai, reflecting the surge in demand and reduced availability.

An X user posted about a charter flight out of FJR (Fujairah) from Dubai to AMD at 6:00PM local time on March 4 which has a few empty seats costs Rs 1.5 lakh per seat.

With airlines gradually restoring operations but airspace restrictions still affecting schedules, the regional conflict has left thousands of travellers scrambling for options—some waiting for flights, others quite literally finding their own way home across borders.