Cancelled flights: 4,000 Indian Haj pilgrims stranded in Saudi; MEA says working on their early return

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed on Thursday that it is collaborating with tour operators and airlines to expedite the return of Indian Haj and Umrah pilgrims stranded in Saudi Arabia due to attacks on airport infrastructure. This statement followed a post by AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, who expressed concern over thousands of pilgrims being stranded in Makkah and Madina.

Owaisi specifically mentioned that four thousand pilgrims had flights cancelled with IndiGo, Akasa Air, and Air India, leaving them stranded.

In response, the MEA stated that the Indian Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate in Jeddah are actively working with airlines and tour operators to facilitate the early return of the affected pilgrims. So far, approximately 3,000 stranded Umrah pilgrims have managed to return to India on available flights over the past week, along with over 10,000 regular Umrah pilgrims who had returned via scheduled flights.

The MEA also disclosed information about the establishment of control rooms to assist Indian citizens in Saudi Arabia. The ongoing disruptions in flight schedules have been attributed to the attacks on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.