New Delhi [India] March 6, (ANI): A SpiceJet SG 9073 flight from Fujairah, UAE, safely brought passengers back to Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) Airport in the national capital, New Delhi, on Friday amid rising tensions in West Asia.

The passengers, who had travelled to the UAE to attend the Vijay Ratna (VR) award function on February 28, faced significant challenges due to multiple flight cancellations caused by the ongoing conflict in the region. There are 50 VR awardees and some journalists on the flight.

Among the passengers, Vivekanand Hodekar from Karnataka, who was there to attend the award ceremony, said he panicked when his flight was cancelled. He credited Chairman and MD of Vijayanand Roadlines Limited (VRL) Group, Vijay Sankeshwar, for arranging food, shelter, and alternate return flights for all 50 awardees.

Passengers travelled from Dubai to Fujairah Airport, which was approximately two hours from Dubai. 'When we reached the airport, we saw some missile strikes nearby and received an alert on our phones warning us it was unsafe to fly. We panicked, but after some time, we received clearance and boarded the flight,' Hodekar recalled. The flight took off at 1 AM and landed safely in New Delhi at 6 AM. Hodekar expressed his gratitude to Sankeshwar for his assistance.

Similarly, M.B. Shastri, a passenger on board, told ANI that he learned about his return flight cancellation while attending the award ceremony. 'I faced many problems and thought I would not be able to go home,' he said.

A journalist who had gone to Dubai to cover the VR awards also shared his ordeal, saying his flight scheduled for March 1was cancelled, followed by another cancellation for March 3. With Sankeshwar's help, he was finally able to book a SpiceJet flight for March 6. 'My family was waiting for me, and I was very tense. I am happy to have reached home safely,' he said.

The coordinated efforts ensured the safe return of all passengers despite the uncertainty caused by the conflict in the region.

On February 28, the US and Israel conducted coordinated airstrikes across multiple Iranian cities, targeting military command centres, air-defence systems, missile sites, and key regime infrastructure. These strikes resulted in the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and four senior military and security officials, with large explosions reported in Tehran and other major cities.

In response, Iran retaliated by launching ballistic missiles and drones at US assets and allies across the region, including Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan, further widening the conflict in the Middle East and heightening risks for civilians and expatriates alike. (ANI)