Air travel across West Asia faced significant disruption as escalating regional tensions led to widespread flight cancellations and airspace restrictions. By Sunday evening, nearly 2,000 flights had been cancelled globally, with major carriers suspending services as a precautionary measure. Airlines operating in and through the region are closely monitoring the security situation before resuming normal operations.
Leading Middle East carriers such as Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways cancelled around 1,600 flights across their international networks. The cancellations affected routes connecting Asia, Europe, North America and Africa, reflecting the region’s role as a major global aviation hub.
Indian airlines were also impacted. According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, domestic carriers including Air India, IndiGo and Akasa Air cancelled approximately 350 flights during the day. Most airlines have announced continued suspensions until March 2, stating that operations will resume only after comprehensive safety assessments.
Late Sunday, Air India announced that some long haul services to North America and Europe would operate using alternative routes through available airspace in West Asia. The airline indicated that revised flight paths may increase travel time. It also confirmed that flights to New York and Newark would operate with technical stops at Rome Fiumicino Airport.
Air India cancelled around 125 international flights to and from western destinations on Sunday. The carrier extended suspension of flights to and from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Qatar until 11.59 pm on March 2. Additionally, select services to European cities, including Birmingham, Zurich and Copenhagen, were cancelled along with their return segments.
IndiGo announced suspension of select international flights using West Asia airspace until March 2, citing operational constraints and passenger safety considerations. Airlines stated that their immediate priority is to reposition aircraft and crew stranded at overseas airports. Air India confirmed that it had repositioned its wide body aircraft and is evaluating operations to Europe, the United Kingdom and North America via alternative oceanic routes with refuelling stops in Vienna or Rome.
Airspace restrictions in Pakistan have added further complexity for Indian carriers, limiting routing options towards Europe and North America.
In response to the disruption, Abu Dhabi authorities directed hotels to extend the stay of stranded passengers, with the Department of Culture and Tourism stating that it would bear the cost of extended accommodation. Meanwhile, some travellers considered travelling by road from the United Arab Emirates to Muscat in Oman to secure onward flights. However, the Indian Embassy in Muscat issued an advisory clarifying that prior tourist visas are required to enter Oman.
Airlines have advised passengers to remain in contact with carriers for updates as flight schedules continue to evolve.
