The national carrier announced on social media that the flight accommodated 149 passengers alongside 8 crew members.
“We are pleased to welcome our guests and crew from Dubai aboard flight AI916D,” the post stated. “This is the first flight by an Indian carrier arriving in New Delhi today, with 149 passengers and 8 crew members aboard, amid the prevailing situation in the Middle East,” it continued.
Air India also shared images capturing the crew and passengers, visibly happy as they landed in the national capital.
We are pleased to welcome our guests and crew from Dubai aboard flight AI916D. This is the first flight by an Indian carrier to arrive in New Delhi today with 149 passengers and 8 operating crew members onboard, amid the prevailing situation in the Middle East.
A heartfelt thank you… pic.twitter.com/7EnRf2MA16— Air India Newsroom (@AirIndia_News) March 3, 2026
The airline expressed appreciation towards its teams and various authorities, stating, “A heartfelt thank you to our teams, the Government of India, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and local authorities in Dubai for their ongoing collaboration that made this homecoming possible.”
“There’s no greater joy than bringing our guests and crew back home,” added Air India in a subsequent post. In the photos, passengers and crew were seen smiling and making victory signs.
There’s no greater joy than bringing our guests and crew back home❤️#AirIndia pic.twitter.com/p8mITx2YdZ
— Air India Newsroom (@AirIndia_News) March 3, 2026
Shortly after Air India’s announcement, several passengers took to the airline’s comments section to request updates regarding their cancelled flights.
One passenger inquired, “Our flight with Air India was cancelled! Now we are stranded in the UAE. What about us? Please give us an update! What should we do?”
Another asked, “When is the next flight departing from Dubai to anywhere in India? My parents are stuck and have a flight booked for tomorrow, March 4, at 11:45 am.”
Some travelers praised Air India for its efforts in resuming flights.
“Well done, Air India. Let’s hope we can safely bring all our Indian brethren home,” wrote one user.
“That’s wonderful…. thank you, everyone, for ensuring safety,” commented another.
At present, no other Indian airline has resumed operations from Dubai. Recently, SpiceJet cancelled several flights, including return journeys, between India and the UAE on March 2 and 3.
Dubai Airports has permitted only a limited number of flights to resume following airspace closures triggered by escalating tensions from the Iran–Israel–US conflict.
The partial reopening commenced on the evening of March 2 at Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), but normal operations remain suspended.
The closures were initiated after missile and drone strikes from Iran across the Gulf in retaliation for a joint Israeli-American military operation that resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
