One hundred and eleven people from Pune district, including students who had been unable to leave Dubai, got back safely as the US-Israel-Iran conflict in Western Asia worsened. The district authorities have said that special flights, and the state and central governments cooperating, were what made it possible to bring the people home.
The Return and Who Was Onboard
Of those who came back, eighty were students and four were teachers from the Indira School of Business Studies – ISBS. Authorities said these passengers were among one hundred and eighty-four people from Pune who were stuck in the United Arab Emirates after flights were cancelled.
Two special flights organised by the state brought back one hundred and sixty-four tourists from Maharashtra, who had been in the UAE when the conflict started. These flights – which contained people from Pune, Thane and Ahilyanagar – arrived at Mumbai International Airport on Tuesday night.
How the Governments Worked Together
The central government, and the government of Maharashtra, worked with local people to organise the flights to bring people home. Eknath Shinde, the Deputy Chief Minister, arranged two special flights which gave priority to Indian citizens from several districts in the state who were stranded.
Jitendra Dudi, the District Collector, stated that the flight times for nineteen people from Pune who were still in Dubai had been changed. He also said that arrangements were being made to bring the remaining fifty-four travellers from the city home, and that officials were still looking at flight times and passenger lists.
Advice and Help for Indians in Western Asia
The authorities have issued safety advice to Indian people all over Western Asia, telling them to be careful and not to travel unless they had to. People in Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan, and the UAE were told to do what local authorities and Indian embassies and consulates told them to do.
If there were emergencies, people were told to contact the 24/7 helplines of the nearest Indian embassy or consulate. In Pune district, people who needed help could phone the District Disaster Management Control Room on 020-26123371 or 26133522 for information and help.
Problems That Are Still Happening and What Will Happen Next
Flights to and from many airports in Western Asia are still not running normally, which means that thousands of passengers are stranded across the area. This has made it difficult to bring people home and meant that plans had to be flexible, and that extra chartered flights had to be used, as well as cooperating with international authorities.
Local officials said that they would continue to give priority to students, older people and those with urgent needs. The authorities are keeping a close watch on travel advice and airline schedules to speed up return flights whenever places are available.
The Maharashtra government told its people who were abroad to only trust official information, and to be patient while teams sorted out the logistics. University leaders and families were relieved that the students had come back safely, and thanked the authorities for their quick response.
Because the situation in Western Asia is changing, authorities stress that changes in airspace and security could affect travel. Officials recommend that travellers have their documents ready, keep in touch with local embassies and consulates, and follow updates to make sure that people are brought home safely and in an orderly way.
