Limited flight operations resumed Monday evening from Dubai, with Emirates, Flydubai and Etihad initiating a restricted number of services to clear stranded passengers after days of widespread disruption triggered by volatile West Asian airspace conditions following the Iran–Israel–US conflict.
IndiGo has planned 10 special relief flights from Jeddah to India on March 3 to facilitate the return of stranded passengers, subject to required approvals and prevailing airspace conditions.
The phased resumption, announced by Dubai Airports, covered select departures from Dubai International and Al Maktoum International, with airlines prioritising passengers holding earlier bookings and operating under tight safety constraints. Carriers warned travellers not to go to the airport without confirmed communication; an Emirates spokesperson said only those rebooked on these cleared services would be contacted directly and that other services remained suspended.
Etihad has deployed 15 special flights from Abu Dhabi to help clear the backlog, including four services to India — Delhi, Mumbai, Kochi and Bengaluru — for passengers affected by recent cancellations who held prior tickets. Air India Express said it would resume services between Muscat and several Indian cities from March 3, with its first flight scheduled to Tiruchirappalli at 10:25 local time. Its operations to Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE remained suspended until late on March 3.
Stranded Indian aircraft, including IndiGo jets, have begun returning after being held at Gulf airports for the past two days, signalling gradual recovery, though cancellations continued to mount across India. Officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation said carriers were making calibrated adjustments, progressively resuming long‑haul and ultra‑long‑haul operations via alternative routings that avoid restricted airspace. Aircraft and crew repositioning measures are underway and special arrangements are being made to facilitate stranded passengers. Airlines are deploying additional capacity where required and coordinating closely with foreign aviation authorities and Indian missions abroad to ensure safe and orderly movement.
Due to the ongoing situation, airlines cancelled 357 flights across India on Monday. Delhi recorded 50 departure and 37 arrival cancellations; Mumbai reported 116 disruptions (arrivals and departures); Kolkata saw about 20 international cancellations involving major Gulf carriers; Chennai reported 28 cancellations; and three Gulf‑bound flights were grounded in Goa.
Iraq extended the closure of its airspace to all flights until noon Wednesday, further complicating networks. Globally, the conflict has caused widespread travel paralysis: roughly 30,000 German tourists remained stranded across the Gulf, with Berlin ruling out military evacuation because of closed airspace, while other countries pursued alternative plans and urged citizens to stay in hotels. Disruptions have spread beyond West Asia, affecting routes to Bali and Europe; several carriers, including Air France and KLM, suspended key services, and US airlines saw market impacts as the crisis weighed on investor confidence.
