KOCHI: As tensions in West Asia continue to disrupt air travel across the Gulf, the Muscat-Kochi route has emerged as a reliable corridor for Indians looking to return home.
Indeed, with much of the airspace in the region closed to traffic, travellers from the UAE and neighbouring countries are increasingly driving across the border into Oman to catch a flight.
“Muscat to Kochi is one of the few routes still operational,” said Romit Poladiya, a Gujarati from Mattancherry settled in Dubai.
“Things are relatively calm in Dubai,” he told TNIE shortly after landing in Kochi on Air India Express flight IX 1128.
“But with the United States asking its own citizens to evacuate, we felt the situation could escalate in the coming days. Since we had been planning a visit to Kerala for some time, we decided to take the opportunity,” he added.
Despite global headlines suggesting panic, Romit emphasised that life in the UAE remains largely undisturbed.
“In the streets, things are not as panicky as is sometimes portrayed on TV. The UAE government is doing a good job of keeping things under control, and people trust that,” he said, adding that many Indians have chosen to stay back.
Several others echoed the sentiment.
Mohammed, a Dubai resident from Udupi, Karnataka, said he drove to Muscat before flying into Kochi. “Life in the UAE is quite normal. People are out for iftar and other gatherings. There is no panic,” he told TNIE as he made arrangements for the onward journey to his hometown.
“Many Indians I know have decided to remain in the UAE despite the tensions,” Mohammed added. For some travellers, the journey home was less about fear and more about uncertainty surrounding flights.
Santhosh Bharani, a tourist from Tamil Nadu, had been stranded in Dubai along with his extended family after flights were cancelled. “When operations from the Omani capital became available, we immediately booked tickets,” he said.
Now, the family intends to travel to their home state. “But maybe we will consider continuing our holiday in Kochi,” he quipped.
Mohsin Moidunny, a Dubai resident travelling with his wife and two children, said, “We had already planned a family trip to India. But with flights uncertain after the airspace closure, we thought it would be safer to travel via Muscat.”
The recent escalation, too, weighed on his mind when making the decision to travel home. “There’s no panic. But you know, it’s always better to be safe,” Mohnsin said.
For Tesham Dave, who had travelled to the Gulf on holiday with his Gujarati family of over a dozen members, the Muscat-Kochi flight was the quickest way out after flights from UAE were halted.
“If Muscat is the exit point, Kochi is now the gateway to India for Gulf returnees,” said Pradeesh S, who arrived on the same flight. A Hyderabad resident, he, too, had flown to the Gulf on holiday.
On Wednesday, Kochi airport recorded 14 West Asia-sector operations. Four of the arrivals were from Muscat, with the route also accounting for six departures.