Air India Express to resume Muscat flights; Gulf routes remain suspended amid Israel-Iran conflict

Air India Express announced on Monday that it will resume flight operations to and from Muscat starting March 3, even as broader airline disruptions persist due to the escalating Middle East conflict triggered by Israel’s and U.S. military strikes on Iran.

An airline spokesperson said the resumption will include scheduled services between Muscat and Delhi, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangaluru, Mumbai and Tiruchirappalli. The carrier’s first flight from Muscat will depart for Tiruchirappalli at 10:25 hours local time on March 3. However, services to Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE will remain suspended until 23:59 hrs IST (18:29 hrs UTC) on March 3, 2026, the spokesperson added.

Escalating hostilities between Israel and Iran sparked by joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iranian territory have provoked retaliatory actions and triggered airspace closures across the Gulf region, including key hubs such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Kuwait and Bahrain. These closures have forced airlines worldwide to cancel and reroute flights.


Indian carriers have been among those most affected outside the region, with hundreds of cancellations over the past three days. At Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi alone, 87 international departures and arrivals were scrubbed on Monday, adding to more than 760 overseas cancellations recorded over the previous 48 hours.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation reported around 350 flights operated by Indian domestic and international carriers cancelled on March 1 due to Middle East airspace restrictions, underscoring the scale of disruption.

Major Indian airlines, including Air India, IndiGo, Akasa Air and SpiceJet have temporarily halted services to destinations across the Middle East, offering flexible rebooking and refund options to affected travellers.