India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) used an inter-ministerial briefing on 6 April to present its most comprehensive snapshot yet of how New Delhi is keeping nationals mobile across a conflict-stricken Gulf. Additional Secretary (Gulf) Aseem R Mahajan told reporters that **730,000 passengers** have flown home since hostilities flared on 28 February. Key air links: • UAE–India: about 90 non-scheduled flights are operating daily. • Saudi Arabia & Oman: regular services continue, providing onward options for Kuwait- and Bahrain-based Indians whose own airspace remains shut. • Qatar: partial reopening allows 8–10 Qatar Airways flights to India per day. Land & sea detours: Where airspace is fully closed, missions are bussing citizens to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Egypt or Jordan before chartering them back to India. Seafarers on 16 Indian-flagged vessels in the Persian Gulf have dedicated consular liaisons for crew change-overs. Student and exam focus: Special cells are tracking board-exam timetables so that hall tickets, passports and, if necessary, evacuation flights align—important for corporates sponsoring dependants. Implications: Mobility teams should refresh insurance and duty-of-care matrices: routings via third countries can trigger transit-visa obligations (e.g., Jordan’s new 90-day Jordan Pass cap) and may void existing travel policies. The MEA’s control room remains the escalation channel for stranded employees.
Source: The Tribune
