In a big relief for Indians stuck inside Yemen, the government has received permission to fly two Air India planes into the capital city of Sana’a on Friday. Confirming the news to The Hindu, Minister of State for Overseas Indian Affairs Gen (Retd) V.K. Singh said that the two flights will try to make at least two trips to transport passengers from Sana’a to Djibouti, where he is overseeing and coordinating their return to India. “We have been stuck for two days because of the lack of permission to land in Sana’a,” He told The Hindu, “If all goes well, we hope to bring atleast 500 more Indians out of Yemen today.”

The two Air India planes have been on standby at Muscat airport, waiting for clearance from Saudi Arabian authorities, who control the airspace over the capital and have been conducting regular airstrikes on Yemen. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken to Saudi King Salman earlier this week, but permission had been held up while the bombing continued.

India has also been eveacuating passengers through the sea route to Djibouti, with its ship INS Sumitra rescuing passengers from Aden and Al Hudaydah, including atleast 11 foreign nationals, of “south Asian and African nationality,” said officials.

(The Hindu)