India will run special flights for its citizens to return from Qatar, which has been hit by travel and trade boycott by other Gulf nations.
Civil Aviation Minister, Ashok Gajapati Raju, said that Air India and private airlines will operate additional flights to Doha from Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Mumbai.
He assured that Indians are not stranded in Qatar but many have not been able to get tickets due to the additional demand caused by the rush to return after the blockade. Nearly 7 lakh Indians live in Qatar.
While Air India will operate special flights between Kerala and Doha from June 25 to July 8, Jet Airways will operate extra flights between Mumbai and Doha.
“Jet Airways will operate a 168-seater aircraft on June 22 and June 23. Air India subsidiary Air India Express will be flying its 186-seater Boeing 737 on Thiruvananthapuram-Doha and Cochin-Doha routes from June 25 to July 8,” a senior official of the Ministry of Civil Aviation said.
Raju said the government is also in talks with other private airlines to start special flights. He said the move comes after Minister for External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj, discussed the matter with him earlier this week.
“All steps necessary for the timely movement of our citizens from Doha will be ensured. I and Sushma Swaraj are in touch on this issue,” Raju tweeted.
The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain had banned the use of their airspace for flights to and from Doha earlier this month and later revised the embargo saying it would apply only to Qatar operators.
Seven Gulf nations, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Bahrain, have imposed the measures to isolate Qatar, which has been accused of funding terrorism.
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