By Admin 
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde took immediate initiative for the safe return of 164 citizens of Maharashtra stranded in UAE including Dubai due to closure of Middle East airspace due to increasing tension between Iran-Israel-America. He spoke directly to the affected people and arranged for special flights. Today these citizens are leaving for Mumbai from Fujairah.
Due to rising geopolitical tensions, many international flights were cancelled, leaving a large number of Indian citizens stranded in Dubai and other Emirates. The state government became active as soon as it got information about the situation of the citizens of Maharashtra.
arranging special flights
As part of these efforts, two special flights of Star Air are being operated from Fujairah International Airport today. As per schedule, aircraft VT-GSO will take off today (March 3, 2026) at 3:30 pm and aircraft VT-GSH will take off at 4:30 pm.
A total of 164 passengers will reach Mumbai Airport today between 5:30 and 7:00 pm through these two aircraft. The administration has also ensured necessary coordination and reception arrangements at the airport, so that the process of all passengers can be completed smoothly.
Which citizens got relief?
These passengers include 84 students of Pune-based Indira School of Business Studies, who had gone to Dubai in connection with an educational program. Apart from this, citizens of Thane, Murbad, Ahilyanagar and other areas are also in this list.
Deputy Chief Minister Shinde had directly communicated with these Marathi citizens 2 days ago. He assured them that everyone was safe and there was no need to worry. The state government is making every possible effort and safe return home will be ensured.
After this, constant contact was maintained with all the concerned agencies, aviation companies and local administration. As a result of these coordinated efforts, the safe return of 164 passengers is becoming possible today.