West Asia crisis: UAE resumes flights; Indian carriers plan relief

Airspace restrictions across the Gulf disrupted services for a third day, prompting partial resumption in the UAE. Meanwhile, Indian airlines have also mounted relief measures

Military escalation in West Asia continued to disrupt aviation networks on Monday, even as limited flight operations resumed in parts of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Meanwhile, some Indian carriers also announced relief flights and measures for passengers stranded in the Gulf region.

Dubai begins limited operations

Dubai Airports confirmed that a restricted number of services resumed from the evening of March 2 at Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC).

 

In a post on X, the Dubai Media Office advised passengers not to travel to the airport unless they were directly contacted by their airline with a confirmed departure time.

   

Emirates said it would operate a limited number of flights from the evening of March 2, giving priority to passengers with earlier bookings.

 

“Emirates will begin operating a limited number of flights commencing on the evening of 2 March. We are accommodating customers with earlier bookings as a priority, and those who have been rebooked to travel on these limited flights will be contacted directly by Emirates. Please do not go to the airport unless you have been notified. All other flights remain suspended until further notice. Emirates continues to monitor the situation, and we will develop our operational schedule accordingly. Updates will be published on emirates.com and our official social media channels. We would like to thank our customers for their understanding and patience. The safety and security of our passengers and crew remain our highest priority,” the airline said.

UAE assistance for stranded passengers

The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority said authorities were covering all “hosting and accommodation costs” for passengers affected by cancellations and diversions.

 

According to a statement carried by state news agency WAM, around 20,200 passengers had been handled as of Sunday following rescheduled services.

 

Airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha, which serve as key transit points between Europe, Africa, the West and Asia, remained affected after being struck during Iranian retaliatory actions. The closures disrupted global travel corridors.

Air India Express to resume Muscat services

Air India Express announced that it would resume flights to and from Muscat from March 3. Services were scheduled to operate between Muscat and Delhi, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangaluru, Mumbai and Tiruchirappalli.

 

The first flight from Muscat was scheduled to depart for Tiruchirappalli at 1025 hours local time.

 

However, services to Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE remained suspended until 2359 hours IST on March 3.

 

Many airspaces across the Middle East remained closed due to the conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran, affecting flight operations across the region.

IndiGo plans 10 relief flights from Jeddah

IndiGo planned to operate 10 special relief flights from Jeddah to various Indian cities on March 3 to facilitate the return of stranded passengers.

 

The civil aviation ministry said it was closely monitoring the evolving airspace situation.

 

“IndiGo has planned 10 special relief operations from Jeddah to India on 3 March 2026 to facilitate the return of stranded passengers, subject to required approvals and prevailing airspace conditions. IndiGo is coordinating with the Consulate General of India at Jeddah for passenger facilitation,” the ministry said in a statement.

 

“As part of our continued precautionary approach, the temporary suspension of select international flights operating through parts of the Middle Eastern airspace has been extended,” IndiGo said in a separate post on X.

 

Akasa Air stated that its flights to and from Abu Dhabi, Doha, Jeddah, Kuwait and Riyadh remained suspended for Tuesday. The airline offered full refunds or free rescheduling for eligible bookings made until March 7 and urged passengers to check flight status before travelling to the airport.

Indian airlines cancelled 357 international flights on Monday

Indian carriers cancelled 357 international flights on Monday as operational disruptions entered the third day. The civil aviation ministry said, “The situation in the Middle East region continues to be closely monitored to facilitate relief for passengers. Due to the ongoing situation, 357 flights planned for operation today were cancelled.”

 

In the three days starting February 28, Indian airlines cancelled 1,117 international flights.

 

On Monday, IndiGo cancelled more than 163 flights. The Air India Group, comprising Air India and Air India Express, cancelled over 110 services. SpiceJet cancelled at least 20 flights, while Akasa Air did not operate eight services.

 

More than 300 flights, including arrivals and departures, were cancelled at Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai airports. Mumbai and Delhi recorded 116 and 87 cancellations, respectively. Bengaluru reported 72 cancellations, while Chennai saw 28.

 

Air India operated around 20 flights to North America and Europe using longer routes that overflew Oman, Saudi Arabia and Egypt before entering European airspace.

 

Delhi International Airport Limited said that ongoing political developments in the Middle East led to delays and schedule changes for some westbound international flights.

 

The ministry also said 559 passenger grievances were addressed through AirSewa, social media platforms and dedicated helplines in coordination with airlines and stakeholders. Several flights scheduled for Tuesday were also cancelled as airspace restrictions remained under review.