Lucknow,

06 March (HS): Flight operations to Gulf countries have been disrupted since

the attack on Iran. A series of flight cancellations continues. Flight

operations between Amausi Airport and Gulf countries have not yet returned to

normal. On Thursday, eight flights to Dammam, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi were

canceled, resulting in the cancellation of over 450 tickets. Airlines issued

refunds totaling Rs.

2.25 lakh (approximately $250,000 USD). Several airlines have stated they will

reissue tickets once the situation returns to normal.

Flight operations to

Gulf countries have been disrupted since the attack on Iran. Due to the closure

of Iran and Dubai's airspace, flights from Lucknow to Gulf countries have been

canceled. The number of flights, which was 17 previously, dropped to eight on

Thursday. Air India Express flight IX-193 to Dubai, Indigo flight 6E-1415 to

Abu Dhabi, and Indigo flight 6E-097 to Dammam were canceled. IndiGo flight

6E-1424 from Sharjah to Lucknow, Air India Express flight IX-198 from Dubai,

IndiGo flight 6E-1416 from Abu Dhabi, IndiGo flight 6E-098 from Dammam, and Air

India Express flight IX-194 from Dubai were all canceled. Meanwhile, at Amausi

Airport, passengers and their families thronged the counters to get flight

information.

Passengers

are also worried about refunds: Dhirendra Singh booked a flight from Dubai to

Lucknow. He has been worried about a refund since his flight was canceled on

March 3rd. Similarly, Mohammad Ikhlaq Ahmed booked a ticket to Riyadh. His

ticket was canceled due to the airspace closure, but he has not received a

refund yet. Contacting the airline said the money had been transferred to the

ticket agent's account.

Date

prices surge, war creates uncertainty over imports: With the increase in demand

for dates, the prices have also increased. Due to the ongoing tensions between

Iran and Israel, there is uncertainty regarding date imports from Gulf

countries. Traders say the increase in wholesale prices is limited, but the

impact is more pronounced in the retail market, forcing customers to pay higher

prices.

Wholesale

traders currently report adequate stock of dates, but retailers in major

markets, including Chowk, Aminabad, and Nakkhas, have slightly increased prices

in anticipation of a potential import crisis. Rashid, a date trader in Chowk,

explained that demand is higher than ever due to Ramadan. While the market

currently has stock, new supplies have not arrived. If the situation in West

Asia remains the same for a long time, prices could rise further.

Wholesaler

Danish said that the price of dates in the wholesale market is roughly the same

as before, but traders Junaid Khan of Aminabad and Bhure of Dandia say that the

wholesale market has seen a rise of five to ten rupees per kilogram in the last

seven days. A half-kilogram box of the most popular Kimmia dates, which used to

sell for 150 rupees, has now reached 160 rupees in wholesale and 180-190 rupees

in retail. This is more or less the case for almost all types of dates.

Dinesh

Gupta, a wholesale trader in the market, said that most of the dates coming

into India come from Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the Gulf countries. If the

situation there affects supply, prices could rise further during the last days

of Ramadan. According to traders, dates are currently available in the market,

but due to uncertainty regarding imports, prices are gradually increasing.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi