Air India and IndiGo partially resume flights on select long-haul routes

MUMBAI: Air India and IndiGo partially resumed operations to select long-haul destinations Monday, even as large parts of the West Asia airspace remained closed, forcing hundreds of cancellations and extending passenger disruption to the third straight day.

The ministry of civil aviation said 357 flights scheduled for operation on Monday were cancelled due to the ongoing situation in the region. The ministry said it continues to "closely monitor" developments to facilitate relief for passengers.

Passenger complaints are being tracked through the Passenger Assistance Control Room (PACR), the ministry 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."


At Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport, 72 flights were cancelled until midnight on March 2 due to airspace restrictions, including 39 arrivals and 33 departures. Key affected sectors included Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Dubai and Doha.

Air India said it has commenced scheduled operations to all its destinations in the US, Canada, Europe and the UK while extending the suspension of all flights to and from West Asia until 2359 hours Tuesday. The airline said it is offering affected passengers alternative arrangements, full refunds or complimentary rescheduling.

According to Flightradar24, cancellations across seven major West Asian airports have exceeded 9,500 flights since Saturday, highlighting the scale of disruption in the region.

Meanwhile, Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports announced limited resumption of flights starting Monday evening.