Tears, hugs and relief as 200 Indians return home from Jeddah, thank govt for safe evacuation

Ahmedabad, March 4 (IANS) An IndiGo special relief flight from Jeddah brought back around 200 Indian citizens as airspace restrictions continued due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia. The returnees expressed gratitude to the Government of India for facilitating their safe evacuation.

The flight landed late Tuesday night at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The operation was part of special efforts to repatriate Indians stranded in Jeddah, with multiple airlines deploying relief services along the route.

Emotional scenes unfolded at the airport as families reunited after days of uncertainty and anxiety. Relatives embraced one another, some in tears, as passengers stepped back onto Indian soil after experiencing fear and disruption abroad.

“After coming to India, we felt like we had returned to our homeland. We feel great peace and relief now. The government did a great thing; we thank the government for arranging the flights for our safe return,” one passenger said.

“The Embassy helped us a lot. We are very thankful for all the support the government has provided us,” another returnee added.

Speaking to IANS, a passenger said, “The government helped us a lot. Otherwise, we did not know how we would return home. They sent a special flight for us, and we came back on that flight.”

“We have returned safely. We never thought that we would be able to come back here safely. The government helped us a lot. We thank them a lot,” another passenger said, visibly emotional.

“I thank our PM Modi. He ensured our safe return,” one of the returnees remarked.

Another passenger told IANS, “PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah helped us. We are very happy to be back in India.”

“We were stuck at the airport. The Indian government worked hard for us,” an elderly Hajj pilgrim said.

“We were very scared. We are extremely grateful to PM Modi... I love my India,” a woman said.

Meanwhile, other carriers, including Air India and Emirates, have also begun facilitating the evacuation of Indian passengers from Gulf countries.

On Tuesday, Air India received passengers and crew arriving from Dubai at Indira Gandhi International Airport, marking the first international arrival by an Indian carrier into the national capital since the disruptions began.

Dubai Airports confirmed that limited flight operations resumed on the evening of March 2 at Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International Airport.

The large-scale disruption and airspace closures followed coordinated US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. In response, Tehran launched attacks on Gulf nations, describing them as “legitimate targets,” escalating the regional crisis into a renewed military confrontation and prompting widespread flight cancellations across West Asia.