Ahmedabad: In a major relief for families in Gujarat waiting anxiously for their relatives stranded in the Middle East, an IndiGo flight that had departed from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPIA) for Jeddah on Tuesday morning returned late at night with nearly 200 Indian passengers.

Emotional scenes were witnessed at the airport as families reunited after days of anxiety. Relatives, who had spent nights worried about their loved ones amid the conflict, welcomed them with tears and relief.

It is learnt that the IndiGo flight had taken off for Jeddah at around 12:30 am on Tuesday. The aircraft later departed from Jeddah with about 200 Indian passengers and was scheduled to arrive in Ahmedabad late on Tuesday night.

The ongoing Iran–Israel conflict has significantly disrupted air travel across the Middle East. Airport officials said that limited flight operations have resumed from cities such as Mumbai and Delhi to help evacuate Indians caught amid the escalating tensions, and Ahmedabad has now been included in these special arrangements.

Earlier, the airline had announced on X that it would operate four dedicated flights from Jeddah on March 3 to help normalise operations between Saudi Arabia and India, including services to Mumbai, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad.

Other carriers, including Air India and Emirates, have also begun efforts to bring back Indian passengers stranded in Gulf countries.

On Tuesday, Air India received passengers and crew arriving from Dubai at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, marking the first international arrival by an Indian airline in the capital after the disruptions.

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