Gulf Air flies stranded Indians home after Bahrain blockade ends
On March 11, Gulf Air flew 140 stranded Indians, including 60 Telugu tourists, safely from Dammam to Kochi.
They'd been stuck since February 28 after U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran triggered a regional escalation; Bahrain's/West Asia airspace was shut in the last week of February (around Feb 28, 2026).
Minister arranges special rescue flight
The Indian government stepped in fast, with Civil Aviation Minister K Ramamohan Naidu arranging a special rescue flight.
One relieved tourist, Goneh Solomon Raj from Hyderabad, shared how grateful he was for the Defense Ministry's help and support from fellow Telugu expats in Manama during those tense days.
Hub-and-spoke plan in full swing
India has switched to a "hub-and-spoke" plan, using safe airports like Jeddah and Abu Dhabi as pit stops to bring more people home.
Evacuations were ongoing and authorities were arranging additional flights to increase capacity.
Plus, travel companies are organizing charter flights from the Gulf to India to meet strong demand from stranded passengers in Bahrain.