814 Stranded Passengers Return to Kolkata via Emirates Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
In a significant repatriation effort, three Emirates Airlines flights successfully ferried 814 passengers back to Kolkata on Sunday. The majority of these returnees were individuals who had been stranded in the United Arab Emirates cities of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah, following recent escalations in regional conflicts and subsequent airport service suspensions.
Flight Details and Arrival Times
The first aircraft to arrive was Emirates flight EK 572, which touched down at Kolkata airport at midnight. This flight carried 279 passengers, including a group of tourists from Kolkata who had originally traveled to Dubai on February 27. The flight experienced a delay of five hours due to service suspensions at Dubai International Airport, which were implemented after a drone strike on Saturday.
A second Emirates flight, EK 570, arrived in the city at 7:46 AM, bringing 288 flyers. Most of these passengers were also residents of West Bengal. The third and final Emirates flight, EK 572, reached Kolkata at 6:55 PM with 247 passengers on board.
Tourist Experiences and Agent Insights
Among the returnees were tourists who had been part of a 30-member holiday group from Kolkata. While 18 of these tourists had already returned via Mumbai and Hyderabad on Saturday, the remaining dozen came back on the first Emirates flight. Travel agent Tanay Biswas, who organized the trip, expressed relief at their safe return.
"We are relieved. These tourists, who had booked the Dubai to Abu Dhabi trip, are back in the city. We were tense when the war broke out. The government there has tackled the situation. We have been able to complete the tour itinerary," said Tanay.
His brother, Tathagata, who stayed behind to facilitate the return of the tourists, returned on a later flight on Sunday. Tanay noted that despite the tense situation, daily life in Dubai and Abu Dhabi appeared relatively normal during daytime hours, though nighttime sirens cautioned residents about potential attacks.
"Most of the attacks were thwarted. In both Dubai and Abu Dhabi, life seemed quite usual during the day. But people were cautioned against any possible attack with the help of sirens at nighttime. Though the age of 95% of the tourists was between 50 and 70 years, most of them were spirited. Some were thrilled to witness a war-like situation, something that only a few tourists could ever get to witness or experience," Tanay added.
Family Concerns and Media Impact
The tour agent also highlighted the anxiety experienced by family members of the tourists back in India. As digital media broadcast visuals of strikes and counter-strikes in the region, relatives grew increasingly worried about the safety of their loved ones abroad.
Return Flight Capacities and Airline Operations
Interestingly, the return flights from Kolkata to the UAE operated with significantly reduced passenger loads. The first Emirates flight back carried only 26 passengers, while the second had 79, and the third transported 127. This imbalance reflects the current travel hesitancy to the conflict-affected region.
Prior to the three Emirates flights, FlyDubai had operated two flights to Kolkata. However, other major carriers including Etihad, Qatar Airways, and Air Arabia have yet to resume their services to the city since the turmoil began.
Challenges in Normalizing Flight Operations
Airline officials explained that full normalization of flight operations to Kolkata from the Gulf region faces significant challenges. One official noted that while there is decent passenger load on flights from Dubai to Kolkata, the number of travelers making return journeys to the region from Kolkata remains below normal levels.
"The load of flyers on flights to the city from Dubai is decent. People, who were stuck, are returning. But the number of flyers making their return journey to the region from the city is lesser than the normal times. Unless onward aircraft services to other regions resume, the airlines will not be able to normalise or regularize its flight operations to the city," explained an airline official.
The official further suggested that it would be prudent to resume flights to Kolkata from the war-affected Gulf region only after aircraft services to Europe and America restart from there, indicating the interconnected nature of global aviation networks during times of regional instability.
