Is Muscat Safe? Passengers Share Their Experiences Amid Rising Tensions in West Asia

Travelers Report Normalcy in Oman Despite Regional Tensions

New Delhi: Passengers arriving in Delhi from Muscat on Friday reported that life in Oman remains unaffected by the escalating tensions in West Asia, stating they encountered no issues during their travels.

One traveler emphasized that daily activities in Oman are proceeding without interruption.

"Life is continuing as usual. All schools and offices are operating normally. The community is supportive, so we faced no challenges," the passenger remarked.

Another individual highlighted that Muscat has emerged as a popular transit hub for travelers from neighboring nations.

"Residents of Dubai and Qatar are choosing to fly from Muscat due to its excellent connectivity," the traveler noted.

A third passenger echoed the sentiment of calmness, stating, "Everything is fine there, and life is normal."

In contrast, another traveler recounted a different experience, explaining that their flight on February 28 was rerouted due to missile blast alerts. "My flight was redirected from Doha to Turkey, where conditions were not ideal. Eventually, we managed to get a flight from Turkey to Muscat, where everything was fine, and we faced no issues," he shared.

On Friday, domestic airlines such as IndiGo, Air India, and SpiceJet began to gradually resume limited flight operations to and from the Middle East, although many services remain canceled due to ongoing airspace restrictions linked to the US-Israel and Iran conflict.

IndiGo announced it would operate 17 departures (34 sectors) on Friday to eight destinations in the Middle East and is collaborating with government authorities to ensure safe service resumption.

Air India and Air India Express confirmed the resumption of flights to and from Jeddah and Muscat after receiving confirmation that the airspaces of Saudi Arabia and Oman were open, according to various reports.

SpiceJet also announced special flights from the UAE to India on March 6 and 7, with additional services on March 8 to facilitate passenger movement amid the ongoing conflict.

IndiGo stated that passengers with bookings will be contacted directly before heading to the airports.

Air India has also planned ad-hoc repatriation flights from hubs like Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah, and Fujairah on March 6, pending regulatory approvals.

Scheduled services to other West Asia destinations will remain suspended until March 10, and passengers with tickets issued before March 4 for travel between February 28 and March 8 can rebook within a month without incurring extra charges.

Industry data indicated that traffic at Dubai International Airport nearly doubled on Thursday compared to the previous day, reaching 25% of normal levels.

From February 28 to March 5, over 44,000 flights were scheduled to operate in and out of the Middle East, with more than 25,000 flights canceled thus far.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has been coordinating with airlines and related agencies, activating a Passenger Assistance Control Room to support stranded travelers.

The Ministry is in constant communication with airlines and is closely monitoring ticket prices to prevent any undue surges during this period.