A SpiceJet flight from Fujairah safely brought passengers back to New Delhi after they were stranded in the UAE due to flight cancellations amid the West Asia conflict. Vijay Ratna awardees and journalists shared their ordeal and relief after finally returning home
Spicejet brings back strandedpassengers from UAE amid West Asia war. File pic
Amid the West Asia war and global turmoil, a SpiceJet SG 9073 flight from Fujairah, UAE, safely brought passengers back to Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) in New Delhi on Friday.
As reported by ANI, the passengers had travelled to the UAE to attend the Vijay Ratna (VR) award function on February 28. The passengers who were stranded in the UAE faced significant challenges due to multiple flight cancellations caused by the ongoing conflict in the region. ANI also reported that there were 50 VR awardees and some journalists on the flight.
Passengers share their experience after being stuck in the UAE
Among the passengers, Vivekanand Hodekar from Karnataka, who was there to attend the award ceremony, said that he panicked when his flight was cancelled. He credited the 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 1:00 am and landed safely in New Delhi at 6 am. Hodekar expressed his gratitude to Sankeshwar for his assistance, reported ANI.
Similarly, M.B. Shastri, a passenger on board, while talking to the media, said 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 1 was cancelled, followed by another cancellation for March 3. With Sankeshwar's help, he was finally able to book a SpiceJet flight for March 6.
The journalist further added, "My family were waiting for me, and I was very tense. I am happy to have reached home safely," was cited by ANI.
The coordinated efforts by the authorities ensured the safe return of all passengers despite the uncertainty caused by the conflict in the region.
(With inputs from ANI)
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