IndiGo, Air India resume limited Middle East flights as airspace closures continue

Airlines are gradually restoring limited flight operations to and from the Middle East while thousands of flights remain cancelled due to ongoing airspace restrictions triggered by the conflict in the region.

In a travel advisory issued on Thursday, IndiGo said it is closely monitoring the evolving situation and working with government authorities to safely resume services. The airline said it will operate 17 departures (34 sectors) on March 6 to eight destinations in the Middle East.

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IndiGo said passengers booked on these flights will be contacted directly through their registered details and advised travellers not to proceed to the airport unless notified.Meanwhile, Air India and Air India Express have resumed flights to and from Jeddah and Muscat after authorities confirmed that airspace over Saudi Arabia and Oman remains open and safe for operations.

However, the Air India Group said scheduled services to other destinations in West Asia remain suspended until March 10 due to continuing airspace closures across parts of the region.

To assist stranded travellers, the airline group is operating additional ad-hoc special flights to and from Dubai, Muscat and Ras Al Khaimah on March 5 and 6, subject to regulatory approvals and operational conditions. Priority is being given to passengers who already hold bookings with either airline.

Air India also said passengers booked on flights from the West Asia region with tickets issued until March 4, and travel planned between February 28 and March 8, can rebook within one month without additional charges or fare differences.

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Low-cost carrier SpiceJet said it continues to operate special flights from the United Arab Emirates to India on March 6 and 7, with additional flights scheduled for March 8 to ease passenger movement.

Globally, airlines are scrambling to adjust schedules as regional airspace disruptions continue. According to Reuters, UAE carriers Emirates and Etihad Airways have resumed limited flight operations from their hubs, though the ongoing threat of missile and drone attacks has complicated flight planning.

Etihad said it would operate a restricted schedule until March 19 from Abu Dhabi to 25 destinations, including London, Paris, Frankfurt, Delhi, New York City, and Toronto.

Emirates said it is operating a reduced schedule to 82 destinations, including Sydney and Singapore, and will accept transit passengers in Dubai only if their connecting flights are operating.

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According to flight-tracking platform Flightradar24, traffic at Dubai International Airport nearly doubled on Thursday compared with the previous day, though it remains around 25% of normal levels.

Industry data from Cirium showed that between February 28 and March 5, more than 44,000 flights were scheduled to operate in and out of the Middle East, with over 25,000 flights cancelled so far.

The disruptions have particularly affected long-haul travel between Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, where Gulf carriers typically handle a significant share of connecting passengers.

(With inputs from Reuters)