Officials believe the initiative could eventually become a model for future international evacuation efforts involving India’s large overseas population
India is preparing to launch a second phase of evacuation operations for citizens stranded across West Asia by designating several regional airports as key transit hubs for repatriation flights.
Government officials say the strategy involves coordination between the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Civil Aviation, along with commercial airlines operating in the region.
The authorities have identified a group of “safe airports” that are expected to remain operational despite ongoing travel disruptions. These include Muscat, Abu Dhabi, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Jeddah, and Riyadh.
Passengers stranded in locations where airport operations remain restricted may be transported by road to these designated hubs before boarding flights to India.
Officials say the approach reflects lessons learned during the massive Vande Bharat repatriation programme launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, although the current plan is designed to be faster and more flexible
The evacuation framework uses a hub-and-spoke system that allows airlines to operate shorter flights with narrow-body aircraft capable of quick turnaround times.
Government sources indicated that nearly 15,000 Indians had already been evacuated earlier in the week, but the new strategy could significantly increase the number of passengers transported each day.
Authorities are also attempting to prevent large spikes in airfare by coordinating capacity across multiple carriers. By sharing operational responsibilities, the government hopes to keep ticket prices more stable for passengers seeking emergency travel.
Employers with large numbers of Indian workers in the Gulf are also participating in the effort. Companies in construction, information technology, and energy sectors are reportedly arranging buses and other transport to move employees to the designated airports.
Some firms operating in Qatar and Bahrain have begun transporting workers across land borders into Saudi Arabia so they can board evacuation flights from Riyadh.
