New Delhi

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on Monday said that around 90,000 people have been able to travel from the Gulf region in the last week itself amid the escalating conflict, emphasising the key roles of various airlines.

Addressing the Rajya Sabha, Ram Mohan Naidu informed that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has been in direct contact with airlines and has ensured the safety.

"DGCA has engaged with airlines and issued them circulars so they can only operate when they ensure 100 per cent safety is there when they are operating to West Asia. Whatever we can do in terms of safe operations and making people travel to those destinations in India, we are able to do with the help of airlines. Around 90,000 people were able to travel last week. We are seeing that the situation might get better, so more people can travel through," he said.

The briefing comes in the wake of the war, which erupted on February 28 after joint US-Israeli strikes targeted Iran, resulting in the death of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several core members of the ruling group. The situation has since escalated, with fresh attacks reported over the weekend on oil depots and water desalination plants.

On the investigation into the tragic crash of Flight Al-171 in Ahmedabad, in which more than 200 people were killed, Ram Mohan Naidu said that the probe is heading at "a very good pace" with the complete report to be out by the end of the year.

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"The investigation is going at a very good pace, and the ministry is providing all the resources that are required for the AAIB. The report should be out by the completion of the year," he said.

Last year on June 12, Air India flight AI-171, a Boeing 787-8 aircraft, crashed soon after it took off from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, killing 260 people, including 229 passengers, 12 crew members, and 19 people on the ground.