Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis addresses with Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. File | Photo Credit: PTI Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has arranged two aircraft to bring back 164 citizens of the State stranded in the United Arab Emirates amid the U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict, his office informed on Tuesday (March 3, 2026). The State Government has also launched an emergency WhatsApp helpline for hundreds of State residents stranded in the Middle East. Mr. Shinde’s office in a statement said two flights will take off from Fujairah Airport at 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. and are expected to land in Mumbai in the evening. The 164 passengers include 84 students of the Pune-based Indira School of Business Studies and residents from Thane, Ahilyanagar, and Pune, it stated. The Deputy Chief Minister has been in touch with those stranded since the West Asia conflict started on Saturday (February 27, 2026). According to officials, several hundred people from Maharashtra are stranded in the Middle East due to airspace closure caused by the Iran war, though all are safe. The Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), in a post on X, said that CM Devendra Fadnavis is personally monitoring the situation and is in constant contact with various agencies. आखाती देशांमध्ये निर्माण झालेल्या युद्ध परिस्थितीमुळे तेथे अडकलेल्या महाराष्ट्रातील विविध नागरिकांच्या संपर्कात राज्य सरकार आहे. मुख्यमंत्री देवेंद्र फडणवीस हे स्वतः सातत्याने विविध यंत्रणांशी संपर्कात असून ते केंद्र सरकारसोबत सुद्धा सातत्याने संपर्क ठेवून आहेत. राज्याचे मंत्री… — CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) March 2, 2026 He is also coordinating regularly with the Central Government, which is extending all possible assistance, while Maharashtra Minister Girish Mahajan has been tasked with coordination efforts. The CMO stated that the State Government, in coordination with the Indian People’s Forum in Dubai, has issued a WhatsApp helpline number+971 50 365 4357for stranded citizens who require assistance. U.S. President Donald Trump has said that the heavy and pinpoint bombing of Iran would continue through the week or as long as necessary. In the wake of the situation, many airspaces in West Asia have been closed, causing massive flight disruptions and leaving passengers stranded. Figures of stranded citizens are being collected from more places across Maharashtra, officials have said. Among those stranded in Dubai is the Congress’s Jalna Lok Sabha MP Kalyan Kale, who had gone there on Friday (February 27), just a day before the joint US-Israel strike in Iran, his brother Jagannath Kale said. WhatsApp helpline number for stranded citizens who require assistance: +971 50 365 4357 Published – March 03, 2026 01:19 pm IST Share this: Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email More Click to print (Opens in new window) Print Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon Click to share on Nextdoor (Opens in new window) Nextdoor Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky Like this:Like Loading... Post navigation France says it will work with China on de-esclatating conflict in West Asia What to know before asking an AI chatbot for health advice