A total of 350 flights operated by Indian airlines were cancelled on Sunday (March 1) due to operational disruptions in the wake of the US and Israel attacks on Iran and the subsequent closure of airspaces in the Gulf region, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said. “In view of airspace restrictions arising from geopolitical developments in the Middle East, a total of 350 flights operated by Indian domestic carriers have been cancelled on March 1,” MoCA said in a statement on X.
The ministry also reported 410 flight cancellations of domestic carriers on February 28. It also advised the passengers to check their flight status with the concerned airlines and remain in close coordination with them for any required assistance.
As many as 225 international flights were cancelled at Mumbai and Delhi airports on Sunday, Of the which, 125 flights were cancelled at Mumbai airport and at least 100 flights at Delhi Airport, sources told PTI.
The disruption has had a knock-on effect on other long-haul travel as airspace remains closed or restricted. With major airports accross the country has urging travellers to check with their airline before setting out. This comes after Iran launched retaliatory attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and eight countries — Iran, Israel, Iraq, Qatar, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan — closed their airspace.
Flight Status Tracker Today 1st March Live
Suspension has spread beyond the Middle East — India-Europe and India-US flights cancelled Sunday due to airspace transit disruption
More than 3,400 flights were canceled Sunday across seven airports in the Mideast, according to flight tracker Flightradar24, as many airspaces remain closed for security reasons, hence pushing global aviation into its worst crisis since Covid — with the world’s busiest hub corridor effectively shut and no reopening timeline in sight.
Emirates Airlines suspended all flights to and from Dubai until at least Sunday afternoon. The Qatar airport was closed until at least Monday 9 am, according to Qatar Airways. Israeli airspace also remained closed Sunday. Israeli airline El Al said it was preparing a recovery effort to bring home Israelis stranded abroad once the airspace reopened.
Airports hit by attacks
Two airports in the United Arab Emirates reported attacks on Saturday, which the government there condemned as a “blatant attack involving Iranian ballistic missiles”.
Officials at Dubai International Airport — the largest in the United Arab Emirates and one of the busiest in the world — said four people were injured, while Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi said that one person was killed and seven others were injured in a drone strike. Strikes were also reported at Kuwait International Airport.
