West Asia crisis | Indian airlines cancel 357 flights to and from war-hit region, AI Express to resume Muscat services

New Delhi: Air travel to West Asia continued to be impacted with Indian airlines on Monday cancelling 357 services even as Air India announced that its operations to and from Muscat, including services from Mangaluru, will resume on Tuesday.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a statement that it was continuously monitoring the situation in West Asia, which remained tense following military action by US-Israel against Iran.

"Due to the ongoing situation, 357 flights planned for operation today were cancelled," it said on 'X'. Altogether around 760 services were cancelled due to airspace restrictions that was set in on Saturday following the military escalation in the region.

Through the Passenger Assistance Control Room (PACR), it said a total of 559 grievances have been addressed during this period through AirSewa, social media platforms, and dedicated helpline calls, in coordination with airlines and concerned stakeholders.

Passengers are advised to check official airline channels for accurate updates regarding cancellations and rescheduling. For assistance, it said fliers could contact the PACR helpline numbers at 011-24604283/24632987.

Separately, Air India Express said it will resume flight operations to and from Muscat starting Tuesday scheduled services to Delhi, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangaluru, Mumbai and Tiruchirappalli.

The first Air India Express flight from Muscat will operate to Tiruchirappally, departing at 10:25 hours local time.

However, an Air India Express spokesperson said, flight operations to Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE remain suspended until 11:59 PM on March 3, 2026.

IndiGo website showed that its services continue to be impacted with 162 cancellations on Tuesday. It has also cancelled 136 services on Wednesday and 15 on Thursday.

Officials also said Air India and Air India Express cancelled over 110 services on Monday while SpiceJet cancelled at least 20 flights. Akasa Air did not operate eight flights. Mumbai airport saw 116 cancellations while Delhi had 87, Bengaluru 72 and Chennai airport 28.

Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) said travel bookings for routes linked to West Asia have witnessed 20-25% cancellations and rescheduling. The tension in the region also had impact on the shares of airline companies and tour and travel-related service providers, which saw a decline.