Expats advised not to travel to airports without notice; situation in Gulf

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As the war situation in West Asia worsens, major airlines have not yet resumed regular flight services to the Gulf region. At present, only special relief services are operating to bring back stranded passengers. Around 15 flights are expected to arrive at Kochi airport today. These emergency services are mainly for visitors and passengers whose visas are about to expire. Several countries are also operating special flights to bring their citizens back home.

Airlines including Emirates, Etihad, flydubai, Air India, IndiGo and Akasa Air have been operating relief services to cities such as Kochi, Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai. These services will continue. The flights are being operated with security clearance and coordination from authorities. Eligible passengers will be informed directly. Those who do not receive official communication are advised not to come to the airport. Regular flight services will resume only after the airspace situation becomes stable.

Etihad and Qatar Airways have announced that passengers scheduled to travel until March 10 can change their travel dates without paying extra charges. Refunds will also be provided if required. UAE authorities reopened certain air corridors yesterday in coordination with Gulf countries. The UAE Tourism Minister said these routes have the capacity to handle 48 flights per hour. Flight operations are expected to increase in phases.