NEW DELHI: Following the escalation of the Iran-Israel conflict, multiple international airlines have begun altering their flight routes to avoid certain airspaces. Efforts are underway to bypass air routes over Iran, Iraq, and Israel, with some flights being cancelled altogether. Air India has officially announced that it will no longer operate flights through Iranian, Iraqi, and Israeli airspace, and will also avoid certain parts of Gulf airspace. As a result, flights to destinations like the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Europe, and North America are expected to be longer in duration.

British Airways and Singapore Airlines cancelled some of their Dubai-bound services yesterday. A British Airways flight from Chennai to London was forced to return to Chennai airport mid-flight.

Meanwhile, 'Operation Sindhu,' launched to bring back Indian nationals from Iran, is ongoing. Two special flights from Iran arrived in Delhi yesterday — one at 4:30 PM and another at 11:30 PM. Efforts are also underway to repatriate those wishing to return from Israel.

Among the returnees — A Malayali from Kannur
Among the 311 passengers who arrived in Delhi from Iran on the 4:30 PM flight yesterday, one is a Malayali — Dinesh Kurjan from Kannur. A long-time designer based in Ahmedabad, Dinesh was part of a 15-member team that had gone to Iran on an architecture tour on June 11. He returned to Ahmedabad yesterday evening on a connecting flight from Delhi.

PM Modi Thanks Iranian President
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his gratitude to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian for facilitating the safe return of Indian citizens. Meanwhile, Israel’s ambassador to India, Naor Gilon, assured that there are sufficient shelters in Israel and that the safety of Indian nationals is being prioritised. He also confirmed that arrangements would be made for those wishing to return. Justifying the U.S. bombing in Iran, the ambassador stated it was a bold move to protect the world from nuclear terrorism.