Mumbai-Dubai flight receives missile alert, passengers panicked, forced to take these steps

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu) : A major plane crash was averted on Tuesday amid escalating military tensions between the US and Iran. An international flight from Mumbai to Dubai was forced to abruptly change its route after receiving a missile attack alert. Quick action by security agencies kept the plane safe and saved the lives of the passengers.

According to data from flight tracking website Flightradar24, the flight, numbered EK501, was briefly grounded outside United Arab Emirates (UAE) airspace in the morning. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defense issued a warning that ballistic missiles fired from Iran were being intercepted by air defense systems and posed a potential threat to aircraft flying in the air.

Live tracking showed the plane changing course twice before landing in Dubai. Experts say such a "double reverse" maneuver is considered extremely rare during a flight. The plane was also briefly seen returning to Mumbai, but later diverted back to Dubai on instructions from air traffic control. Officials described this as a precautionary measure.

Flights to West Asia affected, many special services started

Amid the tense situation, Indian airlines have announced regular and special flights to some cities in West Asia. Private airline SpiceJet said that it will operate one special flight each to Delhi and Kochi and two special flights to Mumbai from Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates. Also, regular services from Fujairah to Delhi and Mumbai will be resumed from March 4.

Meanwhile, Akasa Air has announced regular flights between Mumbai and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, starting March 3. Services will also operate from Mumbai and Ahmedabad to Jeddah starting Wednesday. However, all flights to Abu Dhabi, Doha, Kuwait, and Riyadh will remain suspended until March 4. IndiGo has operated four special flights from Jeddah to Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Ahmedabad. According to the airline, these flights are being operated for passengers who had pre-booked tickets.

Air India Group announced that Air India Express will resume regular flights from Muscat, the capital of Oman, to Delhi, Kochi, Kozhikode, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Tiruchirappalli. However, all flights to Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates will remain suspended until midnight on Tuesday.

While Air India has announced normal international service to the US, Canada, Europe, and the UK, scheduled flights to West Asia are temporarily suspended. Amid rising geopolitical tensions, airlines are closely monitoring the situation. Passengers are advised to check with their respective airlines for the latest updates before boarding their flights.