Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking urgent intervention to address the steep rise in airfares and the shortage of flights affecting Indians trying to return from Gulf countries amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Vijayan highlighted the difficulties faced by thousands of Indian expatriates, including many Keralites, who are currently stranded in the Gulf region due to airspace restrictions and limited flight availability.

The Chief Minister shared the development on X. 
 

He also called on the Union government to introduce a centralised system to register stranded passengers so that vulnerable individuals can be prioritised during repatriation efforts.

"We need a centralised registration system to prioritise the repatriation of the most vulnerable, including the elderly, pregnant women and those in financial distress. Special care must also be given to transit passengers stranded mid-journey without local support. Keralam remains fully committed to supporting our returning brothers and sisters," Vijayan added.

The appeal comes as tensions escalate in West Asia following a joint military strike by the United States and Israel on Iranian territory that reportedly killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei along with several senior officials. In response, Iran launched multiple waves of drone and missile attacks targeting locations across parts of the Arab region.

With the conflict entering its seventh day, travel disruptions have left many Indians struggling to return home.

Indian carriers, including IndiGo, Air India and SpiceJet, have begun operating limited services to evacuate stranded passengers from the region.

As part of these efforts, SpiceJet announced that it will run 14 special flights from the United Arab Emirates on March 6 to bring back Indian nationals.

Officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation said the situation is being monitored continuously and coordination is under way to facilitate the return of Indians affected by the crisis.
ANI