For many families of Delhi, this time Holi and Eid have brought not just festivals but the happiness of the safe return of their loved ones. Amidst the increasing tension in West Asia, the people who were stranded there are now slowly returning to India. For several days the family members kept checking on their well-being over the phone and remained worried. The movement of passengers coming from Dubai, Oman and Abu Dhabi resumed at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Tuesday (3 March 2026). Many returning passengers said that the situation there was tense, but not scary or dangerous. According to him, most things were going on normally. The family members sitting in India were more worried, who were continuously watching the news.
According to TOI report, 30-year-old Anshika, a resident of Gurugram, was waiting for her husband, who was stuck in Dubai. Both of them were married on 14 February. Her husband had left for London on 28 February, but when the situation worsened, he returned to Delhi via Oman. Anshika said smilingly, ‘This is our first Holi after marriage. There is no greater happiness for me than that they returned home safely. She told that every hour her husband used to call and tell her that the alarms were ringing and emergency alerts were being issued.
How is the situation at Delhi Airport?
Operations at Delhi Airport remained affected for the fourth consecutive day. At least 80 flights to and from Delhi were canceled on Tuesday, including 36 departures and 44 arrivals. More than 200 flights were delayed. 104 flights were canceled on Sunday and 87 on Monday. The Immigration Bureau issued more than 300 temporary entry permits to allow stranded international travelers to exit. To handle the crowd, two additional information counters were created at the airport and quick reaction teams were deployed.
People shared their experiences
Saket real estate businessman Akash Saxena returned from Dubai via Oman. He told that the atmosphere was tense but there was no chaos. He said, ‘For the first time when I heard the sound of the missile being stopped, I felt scared. I was talking to my mother on the phone at that time. Although he also said that the arrangements made by the government there were fine, but returning home felt safer. Deepa from Noida had gone to visit Dubai. He said that initially people were a little scared and the family members in India were more worried. “We didn’t know whether our flight would take off or not. But now we are relieved to return home.” 65-year-old Neeta had gone to Abu Dhabi with her daughter. He told that seeing the situation worsening, he decided not to stop.
