NEW DELHI (Wednesday, March 4, 2026) — SpiceJet has scaled up its repatriation efforts by operating eight special relief flights from Fujairah, UAE, today to bring back Indian nationals stranded by the ongoing Middle East conflict. This follows a successful run of four special services on Tuesday, as the airline works to clear a backlog of passengers created by five days of regional airspace closures.
Expanded Relief Operations
The eight flights scheduled for Wednesday are specifically designed to provide extra capacity for those affected by the suspension of regular services at major hubs like Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
- Flight Destinations:
- Delhi: 4 services
- Mumbai: 3 services
- Kochi: 1 service
- Origin Point: All flights are operating out of Fujairah International Airport, which has emerged as a key transit point for Indian carriers while larger UAE airports deal with heavy congestion and restricted corridors.
Path to Normalization
In addition to these eight relief flights, SpiceJet announced it is moving toward restoring regular connectivity:
- Scheduled Services: The airline intended to restore its scheduled daily flights between Fujairah–Delhi and Fujairah–Mumbai starting today, March 4.
- Ongoing Assessment: SpiceJet stated it is exploring further special flights based on passenger demand and pending regulatory approvals from UAE and Indian aviation authorities.
Broader Aviation Crisis (Feb 28 – Mar 4)
The relief operations come amidst the most significant disruption to Indian aviation in years.
- Massive Cancellations: Between February 28 and March 3, Indian carriers cancelled a total of 1,117 international flights.
- Government Intervention: The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) reported that 58 repatriation flights are planned across all Indian carriers for Wednesday alone, including 30 by IndiGo and 23 by the Air India Group.
- AirSewa Support: Over 559 passenger grievances related to the Middle East crisis have been addressed through the government’s AirSewa portal and social media helplines in the last 48 hours.
Sources
- The Economic Times: “SpiceJet to operate eight special flights from UAE on March 4…” (March 4, 2026)
- Press Trust of India (PTI): “SpiceJet to operate 8 flights from UAE on Wed” (March 4, 2026)
- The Hindu: “Indian airlines plan to operate 58 flights to West Asia on March 4” (March 4, 2026)
- Business Standard: “SpiceJet to restore scheduled Fujairah flights from March 4” (March 3, 2026)
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