Flight operations across West Asia remain heavily disrupted amid the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran, with several major aviation hubs witnessing widespread cancellations and airspace restrictions since February 28. Airports in key regional hubs such as Dubai, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar have seen large-scale flight disruptions as airlines struggle to navigate restricted airspace across the Gulf and parts of the Middle East. However, Indian airlines are set to operate around 50 flights on Monday (March 9) to support passengers affected by the ongoing disruptions in West Asia, according to the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
Despite the disruptions, several major airlines including Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways have resumed limited operations, mainly focusing on repatriation flights and essential routes.
Indian carriers such as Air India, IndiGo, Akasa Air and SpiceJet have also restarted select services connecting India with major Middle Eastern airports including Dubai International Airport, Jeddah and Fujairah.
Air India and Air India Express together plan to run 24 scheduled flights to Jeddah and Muscat on Monday. In addition, the airlines are preparing to operate 32 ad-hoc flights from multiple cities in the UAE, subject to slot availability, regulatory approvals and operational conditions.
Air India has also announced plans to operate 78 additional flights across nine international routes between March 10 and March 18 to help accommodate passengers impacted by the regional situation. Meanwhile, SpiceJet is expected to operate at least three flights from Dubai and Fujairah to India on Monday.
While other domestic airlines are yet to release their schedules, the government said Indian carriers are expected to run around 50 flights in total on Monday as part of efforts to manage travel disruptions and assist stranded passengers.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, more than 52,000 Indian nationals returned to the country between March 1 and March 7 amid the airspace closures across the Gulf region.
Of these travellers, 32,107 passengers were brought back by Indian carriers, while the rest returned through foreign airlines or other available routes. Passenger movement data on March 7 showed that 51 inbound flights operated by Indian carriers arrived in India from the region carrying 8,175 passengers, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said.
The ministry said additional flights are being planned in the coming days to facilitate the safe return of more Indian nationals who were in transit or on short-term visits in Middle Eastern countries.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation said that as of March 8, 279 flights scheduled by Indian domestic airlines had been cancelled due to the evolving situation in West Asia.
Source: India Latest News, Breaking News Today, Top News Headlines | Times Now
