Manama : In a strong show of community support, the Bharathi Association, in coordination with The Indian Club, successfully arranged a Gulf Air chartered flight from Dammam to Chennai today.
This initiative was undertaken jointly by both associations to assist passengers who were urgently seeking to travel to their homeland for various reasons, following the temporary closure of Bahrain Airport.
Despite overwhelming demand, the flight was fully booked, with priority given to the elderly, pregnant women, children, and patients. The ticket cost included bus transportation to Dammam as well as the required Saudi visa.
A dedicated team of Bharathi Association volunteers, under the supervision of Mr. Muthuvel Murugan—namely Sabeek Meeran, Subramanian Subash, Sakthivel, Poonthai Ismail, Aasath Maideen, and Elaiyaraja Balasubramanian—was deployed to coordinate and execute the arrangements, alongside representatives from The Indian Club.
It is worth noting that, despite the ongoing Middle East conflict, the Bahrain government has taken effective safety measures to ensure the protection and well-being of residents, maintaining a sense of normalcy in daily life.
The chartered flight is carrying 192 stranded passengers, following disruptions caused by airspace closures. All passengers were given a warm farewell at the Golden Tulip Hotel before departing by bus to Dammam. The send-off was led by the General Secretary, Mr. Abdul Qaiyum, and Entertainment Secretary, Madam Hansul Gani, representing the Bharathi Association, along with members of The Indian Club management team.
The flight is scheduled to depart from Dammam to Chennai at 5:00 PM.
The passengers expressed their heartfelt gratitude and sincere thanks to both organizations for arranging this timely and much-needed service during a period of difficulty.
