Indian Flight Cancellations Continue Amid West Asia Conflict, Partial Ops Resume In UAE

Last Updated:March 03, 2026, 08:30 IST

Flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi began landing in India on Monday night as airlines resumed limited operations following days of suspension.

Airspace was shut after following the US-Israel strikes against Iran and subsequent Iranian strikes. (Representational)

Flight disruptions between India and West Asia continued on March 3 as Indian airlines cancelled flights amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, while gradually restarting limited operations on select routes.

IndiGo cancelled 43 flights to and from the region on March 3 due to prevailing circumstances. In a travel advisory, the airline said it would operate four dedicated flights from Jeddah to Mumbai, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad on Tuesday to help customers who were already booked but unable to travel earlier.

“These flights are being arranged to cater to customers who were already booked on our flights and have been unable to travel due to the prevailing circumstances,” IndiGo said. The airline urged passengers not to proceed to the airport unless notified and to ensure their booking and contact details are updated to receive timely information.

SpiceJet has also announced flight cancellations between India and the UAE due to airspace closures.

According to the airline, cancelled departures from India to Dubai on March 3 include flights from Kolkata, Delhi (two services), Pune, Mumbai, Amritsar and Madurai.

It has also cancelled multiple return services from Dubai to Indian cities, including Pune, Mumbai, Amritsar, Jaipur, Madurai, Kochi, Delhi and Jaipur, across March 3 and early March 4.

Tata-owned Air India extended the temporary suspension of all its flights to and from the Middle East until 11:59 pm (IST) on March 3, 2026, citing continued closure of multiple airspaces in the region. The airline said it has resumed scheduled operations to destinations in the United States, Canada, Europe and the UK.

Air India said affected passengers would be assisted with alternative arrangements, full refunds or complimentary rescheduling, and advised travellers to check flight status online or contact its 24/7 support centre.

“Air India is closely monitoring and assessing the evolving situation in the Middle East and has commenced scheduled operations to all its destinations in the USA, Canada, Europe and UK, giving highest priority to the safety and security of our customers and crew,” it said.

Akasa Air said it would operate select flights to and from Jeddah on March 3 and March 4 following a safety review, but services to Abu Dhabi, Doha, Kuwait and Riyadh remain suspended until March 4.

“Akasa Air flights to and from Abu Dhabi, Doha, Kuwait, and Riyadh will remain suspended until March 04, 2026. We continue to closely monitor the evolving situation in the Middle East and are carefully assessing operational conditions across our international network” it said.

Partial Flight Ops Resume

In a major relief to thousands of Indians stranded in the UAE, flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi began landing in India on Monday night as airlines resumed limited operations following days of suspension due to the ongoing Israel–Iran conflict.

Earlier on Monday, Dubai Airports confirmed a partial restart of operations from Dubai International Airport and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International. However, authorities urged travellers not to head to the airport unless directly contacted by their airline with a confirmed departure time.

Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Ministry announced that IndiGo would undertake 10 special relief operations from Jeddah on March 3 to help stranded passengers, subject to approvals and airspace conditions. The airline is coordinating with the Consulate General of India in Jeddah.

With flights gradually taking to the skies once again, normalcy is slowly returning to the UAE, and for the thousands of Indians eager to get home, the wait is finally coming to an end.

Following the US-Israel strikes against Iran on February 28, Iran launched a wave of retaliatory attacks, using drones and missiles targeting multiple Arab countries in the region as a retaliatory action, which resulted in flight cancellations.

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