Indian airlines to resume limited Middle East flights

Indian airlines announced on Tuesday (03) that they will start limited flights to the Middle East again to help passengers stranded due to the ongoing war. Many South Asian workers live and work in the Middle East. IndiGo plans to offer four round trips to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia to help return to normal operations between the two regions. Air India Express will also restart flights to and from Muscat, the capital of Oman, starting Tuesday. However, flights to and from Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates are still on hold, according to the airlines' statement. The budget airline Akasa Air will provide some flights to Jeddah as well. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reached out to several leaders in the Middle East, including those from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, to express gratitude for their support of the Indian community, as he shared on social media. Reports indicate that several South Asian citizens have lost their lives in the conflict, including one Nepali man in Abu Dhabi and two Bangladeshi nationals in Bahrain and the UAE. Indian news sources also reported that one Indian citizen was killed on a ship near Oman.