New Delhi, March 3 The government said on Tuesday that airlines have made calibrated adjustments to their schedules and plan to operate 58 flights on March 4 amid the Middle East crisis.
"Special arrangements are being made to facilitate the movement of stranded passengers, with airlines deploying additional capacity where required and coordinating closely with foreign aviation authorities and Indian missions abroad to ensure safe and orderly passenger movement."
"A total of 24 flights are being operated by Indian carriers today. In addition, Emirates and Etihad have operated 9 flights from the Gulf in the last 24 hours," the civil aviation ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said it was in continuous touch with airlines and closely monitoring airfares to ensure that there is no undue surge in ticket prices during this period.
According to the ministry, Indian carriers have undertaken calibrated adjustments to their schedules, with long-haul and ultra long-haul operations being progressively resumed through alternative routings that avoid restricted airspace.
"Indian carriers are further planning 58 flights on 4th March, including 30 by IndiGo and 23 by Air India and Air India Express. Foreign carriers operating between India and the Gulf region are also undertaking limited operations, subject to operational and airspace considerations," it said.
The escalating crisis in the Middle East involving the US, Israel, and Iran have significantly impacted flight operations as some airspaces are closed in the region.
"Till date, 1,221 flights by Indian carriers and 388 flights by foreign carriers have been cancelled due to the ongoing situation," the ministry said and added that it was closely monitoring the situation.
As many as 104 international flights were cancelled by Indian carriers on Tuesday, as per figures provided by the ministry since February 28.
In the last three days, as many as 1,117 international flights have been cancelled due to the Middle East crisis.
"All airlines have been advised to maintain transparent communication with passengers and ensure adherence to regulatory requirements concerning refunds, rescheduling, and passenger assistance," it added.
The ministry is in continuously coordinating with airlines, airport operators, regulatory authorities, and the external affairs ministry to ensure safe operations, orderly restoration of services, and facilitation of affected passengers.
