West Asia conflict | Closure of key hubs in region continues to disrupt flight services: Here is the latest

With Dubai, ⁠Doha and Abu Dhabi airports remaining closed for the third day, several Indian carriers and global airlines have suspended operations, leaving thousands of commuters stranded

As many as 87 international flights were cancelled at the Delhi airport on Monday as airline operations were disrupted for the third day due to the Middle East conflict.

An official said that 37 departures and 50 arrivals have been cancelled at the Delhi airport.

Indian airlines cancelled 760 overseas flights in the last two days owing to the escalating Middle East conflict due to which many airspaces in the region are closed.

The national capital's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), operated by DIAL, is the country's largest airport and handles over 1,300 flight movements daily.

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"Ongoing political developments in the Middle East are causing delays or schedule changes for some westbound international flights," DIAL said in a post on X on Monday.

Temporarily suspended

Qatar Airways on Monday said flight operations have remained temporarily suspended due to the closure of Qatari airspace.

In a post on X, the airline said, "Qatar Airways will resume operations once the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority announces the safe reopening of Qatari airspace."

It said a further update would be provided on March 3 by 09:00 Doha time (06:00 UTC). It advised passengers to monitor the latest flight information via http://qatarairways.com or the Qatar Airways mobile app.

Thousands stranded

Global airlines ​cancelled flights across West Asia after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, plunging the region into a new conflict.

Global air travel remained in turmoil on Monday as the war in Iran forced the closure of key hubs in West Asia, including Dubai, ⁠Doha and Abu Dhabi for a third day, stranding tens of thousands of passengers worldwide and disrupting thousands of flights.

India's Civil Aviation Ministry said the country's carriers cancelled 350 international flights on Sunday. Most airlines have announced cancellations till Monday. They have said that they will closely monitor the situation and carefully assess the evolving circumstances across multiple parameters, including safety, security, airspace availability, and operational feasibility, before deciding on resuming operations.

65 flight services cancelled from Kerala

Flight operations to Gulf countries from Kerala were affected for the third consecutive day on Monday, with authorities indicating that the disruption may last a few more days. Cochin International Airport Limited listed around 45 departing flights from Kochi as cancelled for Monday on its official website.

However, an Oman Air flight to Muscat departed at 8.10 am.

Thiruvananthapuram International Airport Limited said that 20 flights to the Gulf region remained cancelled on Monday.

Over the past three days, a total of 65 flight services to and from the Thiruvananthapuram airport have been cancelled.

Below is ⁠the latest on flights, including those from India:

Air India, which cancelled 50 international flights on Sunday, said it would extend suspension of all flights to and from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Qatar till 23:59 hours (IST) on Monday.

In a post on X on Sunday, the carrier said six flights, including Amritsar-Birmingham (AI117) and Birmingham-Delhi (AI114), would be cancelled on Monday.

Besides, AI151 and A152 flights between Delhi and Zurich, as well as AI157 and AI158 flights between Delhi and Copenhagen, would be cancelled on Monday.

The carrier said it will operate its flights to North America and Europe using alternative routes over available airspaces in West Asia.  

"All other flights to North America and Europe will operate as per schedule using alternative routings over available airspaces in the Middle East, which is expected to add to the flying times. Additionally, flights to New York (JFK) and Newark (Liberty International) will operate with technical stops at Rome (Fiumicino Airport)," Air India said.

With stops in Rome, the flying time for Air India flights to North America would increase and also result in increased operating expenses.

Since the Iran and Iraq airspaces remain closed, officials said the airline would take the Egypt route to reach Europe, which would mean 30-40 minutes of additional flying time.

The flights would take the route through Oman, the southern part of Saudi Arabia and Egypt for European and North American destinations, the officials added.

IndiGo

IndiGo, India's biggest airline, said the temporary suspension of select international flights that use the West Asian airspace‌, has been extended until 23:59 hours IST on March 2.

Air India Express

Air India Express has also extended the suspension of flights to and from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates until 23:59 hours IST on March 2.

SpiceJet

The airline said all flights to and from UAE remain cancelled on March 2.

The airline on Sunday said 33 flights to and from the UAE were cancelled.

Emirates

Emirates airlines said it had suspended all flights to and from Dubai until 11:00 GMT on March 2.

Etihad Airways

The carrier said it had suspended ⁠all flights to and from its Abu Dhabi hub until 10:00 GMT on March 2.

Qatar Airways

The airline said it ​temporarily suspended flights to and from Doha due to the closure of Qatari airspace.

British Airways

IAG-owned British Airways said customers flying between London and Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai or Tel Aviv through March 15 can change their flight date free of charge to travel on or before March 29. Those travelling up to March 8 ⁠may also request ‌a full refund.

Cathay Pacific Airways

The Hong Kong airline said it had cancelled all of its flights to and from Dubai until March 5 and suspended its flights to Riyadh through ‌March 3.

Lufthansa

The German airline suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv, Beirut, Amman, Dammam, Erbil and Tehran until March ⁠8 and flights to and ⁠from Dubai until March 4.

Stranded passengers wait near Emirates Airways customer service office at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport after flights to Doha, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi were cancelled following strikes on Iran launched by the United States and Israel, in Kuta, Bali, Indonesia.

Malaysian Airlines

The Malaysian carrier suspended all flights to and from Doha, Jeddah, and Madinah until March 4.

Air France-KLM

Air France cancelled flights to and from Tel Aviv, Beirut, Dubai and Riyadh through March 3. KLM said its flights to and from Dubai, Riyadh and Dammam may be disrupted through March 6 and flights to and from Tel Aviv were suspended.

Singapore Airlines

The Singaporean carrier said it had cancelled flights to and from Dubai through March 7. Its low-cost airline Scoot cancelled flights to and from Jeddah through March 7.

Japan Airlines

Japan Airlines ‌suspended its Tokyo-Doha flights for the time being, which it said affected about 1,000 passengers across six flights ‌scheduled from February 28 to March 3.

Turkish Airlines

The airline has cancelled some flights to ​and from Bahrain, Dammam, Riyadh, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, ​Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Syria and United Arab Emirates and asked customers to check its website for the latest updates.

ITA Airways

ITA Airways has suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv and would ‌not use the airspace of Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Iran until March 7.

Norwegian Air

The Nordic airline suspended all flights to and from Dubai until March 4, a company spokesperson said. The carrier did not suspend flights to Tel Aviv in Israel or Beirut in Lebanon as these destinations are only active in summer, he added.

Aegean Airlines

Greece's largest carrier suspended flights ‌to and from Tel Aviv in Israel, Beirut ​in Lebanon and Erbil in Iraq through March 3.

Middle East tensions trigger 20-25 per cent cancellations, rescheduling on linked routes

Travel bookings for routes linked to the Middle East are witnessing 20-25 per cent cancellations and rescheduling amid the ongoing military conflict in the region, Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) said on Monday, reflecting rising caution among the country's travellers.

According to IATO, the disruption is currently concentrated in specific corridors involving Gulf transit hubs and nearby regions.

"Travel bookings on routes linked to the Middle East are witnessing 20-25 per cent cancellations and rescheduling, following the ongoing geopolitical tensions and related airspace uncertainties," Ravi Gosain, President, IATO, told PTI.

He observed that traveller sentiment has turned cautious due to concerns around possible flight diversions, extended travel durations, insurance clauses and last-minute advisory changes, prompting many passengers to defer or modify their plans.

"If the situation escalates or airspace restrictions persist, the impact could widen during the peak summer travel period. However, bookings to destinations outside the affected zones remain relatively stable at this stage," Gosain added.

A spokesperson for NASDAQ-listed travel booking aggregator MakeMyTrip said a significant number of travellers booked for near-future travel to or via the Middle East region are opting to defer their plans.

"At present, a significant number of travellers booked for near future travel to or via the Middle East region are opting to defer their travel plans. We are supporting date changes in accordance with the policies communicated by the respective airlines," the spokesperson said.

The company is also assisting travellers currently in Abu Dhabi and Dubai by sharing updates based on official notifications issued by local authorities, enabling them to take informed decisions regarding accommodation and related arrangements, the spokesperson added.

Travel booking platform EaseMyTrip said it is witnessing a temporary spike in cancellations and rescheduling requests on impacted routes.

"The evolving Middle East-West Asia situation has led to short-term disruptions across certain international air corridors, particularly those transiting through the Gulf region. We are observing a temporary rise in cancellations and rescheduling requests on impacted routes, along with an increased preference for flexible and alternative travel options," said Nishant Pitti, Founder and Chairman, EaseMyTrip.

Pitti also said the company is planning charter flights from Oman to India, subject to necessary approvals and operational clearances, to facilitate safe travel for affected passengers.

While international travel may experience short-term headwinds depending on how the geopolitical situation unfolds, domestic tourism demand remains strong and stable, industry players said.

"During periods of global uncertainty, travellers typically shift towards domestic and short-haul destinations, which further supports domestic tourism growth," Pitti noted, adding that booking momentum across key Indian leisure and business destinations continues to remain steady.