West Asia crisis: 33 flights operate on Tuesday; more planned Wednesday

About 33 flights operated between India and the Gulf region on Tuesday as airlines began restoring services disrupted by the West Asia airspace crisis, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said on Tuesday night.

 

Indian carriers were planning to operate 58 flights on Wednesday, including 30 by IndiGo and 23 by Air India and Air India Express, subject to operational considerations. Foreign airlines are also expected to undertake limited operations between India and the Gulf, depending on airspace availability and clearances, it added.

 

So far, 1,609 flights — comprising 1,221 by Indian carriers and 388 by foreign airlines — have been cancelled due to the evolving situation, it said. Of the 33 flights operated on Tuesday, 24 were by Indian carriers, while Gulf airlines Emirates and Etihad together operated nine services in the past 24 hours.

   

Last Saturday, Israel and the United States launched military strikes on Iran, prompting retaliatory action and halting commercial air traffic across major parts of the Middle East. Several countries have shut or restricted portions of their airspace — designated zones through which commercial aircraft are permitted to fly — forcing airlines to cancel flights.

 

The ministry, in a statement on Tuesday night, said it is “continuously monitoring the evolving airspace situation in parts of West Asia and its impact on international flight operations”. It said airlines have made “calibrated adjustments” to schedules, with long-haul and ultra long-haul flights being progressively resumed through alternative routings that avoid restricted airspace.

 

The ministry said special arrangements are being made to facilitate stranded passengers, with airlines deploying additional capacity where required and coordinating with foreign aviation authorities and Indian missions abroad to ensure “safe and orderly passenger movement”.

 

It added that airlines have been advised to maintain transparent communication with passengers and adhere to regulatory requirements on refunds, rescheduling and assistance. The ministry said it is also closely monitoring airfares to ensure there is no undue surge in ticket prices during the disruption and urged passengers to check flight status with their airlines before heading to the airport.