Iran lifts airspace restrictions for three charter flights; 1,000 Indians to be evacuated

In a special gesture, Iran has opened its otherwise-closed airspace exclusively for three charter flights to evacuate about 1,000 Indian nationals, mostly students, from the Iranian city of Mashhad.

Two flights — one from Mashhad and the other from Turkmenistan — are scheduled to arrive in India tonight. The flight from Mashhad was scheduled to land in New Delhi around 11.30 pm and the one from Ashgabat (Turkmenistan) around 3 am, said sources.

India launched Operation Sindhu on Wednesday to bring back its nationals from Iran and Israel in view of the precarious security situation arising out of hostilities between the two countries.

The Indian nationals were moved to Mashhad, which is located near the tri-junction of Iran, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, from Tehran following Israeli attacks on the Iranian capital city.

The flight coming from Mashhad is being operated by Mahan Air, a privately owned Iranian airline based in Tehran, said sources. Two more flights from Iran are planned for Saturday and the same airline will be operating them. India will be reimbursing Mahan Air for the services.

The flight coming from Turkmenistan is a chartered plane arranged by India. None of the flights will be overflying Pakistan, which is the shortest air route from Iran.

Nasir Khuehami, national convener of the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association, said, “Three Mahan Air flights will bring Indian students back to New Delhi from Mashhad. A total of 1,000 students will be returning on these flights. Despite the closure of airspace, a special exception has been granted for evacuating Indian students. Around 500 Kashmiri students are among those returning.”

Regarding arrangements for travel from Delhi to Srinagar, Khuehami said transportation had been arranged. “Deluxe AC buses are ready at the Delhi airport,” he said. At least 1,000 Indian students who are stranded in conflict-hit Iranian cities are expected to land in Delhi over the next two days.

The Iranian airspace remains closed to international flights following the ongoing skirmishes with Israel. India has been granted an exclusive corridor to carry out the evacuation.

On Thursday, 110 Indian students were evacuated from northern Iran and transported to Yerevan in Armenia by road, from where they arrived here on a special flight. The evacuation was carried out under close coordination between India's missions in Tehran and Yerevan.

These students were enrolled at Urmia Medical University in Iran, close to the border with Turkey, a region that has seen missile activity and troop movement in recent days.

Also, the government has decided to evacuate Indian nationals from Israel. The Ministry of External Affairs yesterday said Indian nationals who wished to leave Israel will be facilitated through the land borders and, thereafter, by air to India. It asked all Indian nationals to register themselves with the Indian Embassy in Israel at (https://www.indembassyisrael.gov.in/indian_national_reg).