Pune: Eighty-four students from Pune’s Indira Business School remain stranded in Dubai after tensions escalated in West Asia following the US and Israeli attacks on Iran, leading to a sudden closure of airspace.
A group of Master of Business Administration (MBA) students and faculty from ISBS traveled to Dubai as part of a five-day academic study tour. Follow live Dubai news updates
According to institute officials, 40 students were scheduled to return to Pune on Saturday, while the remaining 44 were scheduled to return on Sunday. But after many flight operations were suspended, the two batches were unable to board return flights.
Follow live updates of the conflict between the US and Iran here
Janardhan Pawar, dean of ISBS, said on Sunday: “All the students and staff are fine. They have been transferred to a hotel in Dubai, and we are in constant contact with them.”
President of the Indira Group of Institutes, Tarita Shankar, said that the institute is coordinating with the central authorities to facilitate their return. She said: “We are in contact with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The safety of our students is our priority, and we are making the necessary arrangements to return them as soon as flights resume.”
The situation escalated after the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. These developments led to the cancellation and rerouting of many international flights, including operational services to and from the UAE.
The Maharashtra Chief Minister’s Office on Saturday said in a post on X that the state government is closely monitoring the situation involving students from Pune who are stranded in Dubai. “The Maharashtra government is in constant touch with the authorities concerned. All necessary assistance will be provided to ensure their safe return,” the post said. She added that officials have been directed to coordinate with the center and provide regular updates to the families of the affected students.
India’s aviation regulator on Saturday asked all Indian airlines to avoid flying across large areas of West Asian airspace, warning of a “significant escalation in security risks” following joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran and retaliatory missile attacks by Tehran across the Gulf.
Meanwhile, parents of the stranded students said they were relieved the group was safe but worried about their return. Institute officials said alternative travel options are being explored and the students will be flown back once permits are obtained.
