Middle East Crisis disrupts air travel: Over 140 international flights cancelled in India

The ongoing crisis in the Middle East has significantly disrupted international flight operations in India, leading to the cancellation of more than 140 international flights on Friday across major airports including Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Kolkata.

Airlines have begun restoring some services, but operations remain limited, with only a few flights running to and from selected Middle Eastern destinations.

Flight Cancellations Across Major Airports

According to officials, at least 142 flights were cancelled across the four airports due to the disruption.

At the Mumbai airport, 39 departures and 34 arrivals were cancelled. Meanwhile, 33 flights were cancelled at the Bengaluru airport, including 15 departures and 18 arrivals.

The Delhi airport also saw disruptions, with 15 departures and 14 arrivals cancelled. In Kolkata, officials confirmed that 7 flights, 4 departures and 3 arrivals were cancelled.

Middle East Conflict Impacting Airspace
The escalating conflict between US-Israel and Iran has led to the closure of certain airspaces in the Middle East. These restrictions have forced airlines to cancel or reroute flights, affecting travel schedules across several international routes.

Airlines Begin Limited Operations

Despite the disruption, some airlines have started resuming limited services. Akasa Air announced that it would operate the Mumbai–Jeddah–Mumbai flight on Friday.

The airline also stated that flights from Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Kochi to Jeddah would operate on Saturday, according to a post shared on X.

Special Flights to Bring Back Stranded Passengers
Earlier, SpiceJet said it would operate 14 special flights from the UAE to help bring stranded passengers back to India.

Government Monitoring the Situation
On Thursday, the civil aviation ministry said it continues to monitor the evolving situation in West Asia closely. The ministry noted that 281 flights scheduled to be operated by Indian domestic carriers on Thursday were cancelled due to the ongoing disruptions.

The situation remains dynamic, and airlines are adjusting schedules depending on airspace availability and security considerations.

[With PTI inputs]