New Delhi, updated 11:30 AM, Mar 04, 2026 IST
Limited international operations between India and parts of West Asia resumed on Tuesday, even as numerous cancellations continued and thousands remained stranded after airspace closures linked to the Iran–US conflict. The Ministry of Civil Aviation said it is closely monitoring the situation.
So far Indian carriers have cancelled 1,221 flights and foreign airlines 388. At Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport about 80 international services were axed on Tuesday — 36 departures and 44 arrivals — while Bengaluru recorded 44 international cancellations and Kolkata at least 10. Several Gulf carriers have suspended services citing safety concerns.
On Tuesday Indian carriers operated 24 return flights; Emirates and Etihad operated nine flights from the Gulf in the previous 24 hours. Airlines had planned 58 flights for March 4, including 30 by IndiGo and 23 combined by Air India and Air India Express, subject to airspace clearances.
Repatriation efforts are being phased in. Air India flew AI916D from Dubai into Delhi, landing at 10:58 am with 149 passengers — its first Indian-operated repatriation since the crisis escalated — and AI918D returned with 143 cockpit and cabin crew who had been stranded in Dubai. Air India said it is deploying larger widebody aircraft on Jeddah and Dubai sectors and expected return services to Mumbai and Delhi to operate at full capacity on March 4.
IndiGo began evacuation services with four return flights from Jeddah and plans phased resumptions to Muscat, Athens, Madinah and other points. The carrier expects to restore 13 return flights covering 26 sectors, pending approvals and real-time airspace conditions, and is arranging extra UAE repatriation services from March 4.
Air India Express resumed Muscat flights on Tuesday but maintains suspensions to Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE until further notice; it said scheduled Muscat services and additional domestic sectors will help bring people home. SpiceJet announced four special evacuation flights linking Fujairah with Delhi, Mumbai and Kochi; those charters are due to return in the early hours of Wednesday, while regular Fujairah–Delhi and Fujairah–Mumbai services are planned to resume from March 4 subject to clearances.
Mumbai has become a major arrival hub for the repatriation effort. Tuesday arrivals included Emirates EK8506 from Dubai at 13:55; Star Air S58503 and S58302 from Fujairah at about 19:30 and 21:00; IndiGo 6E8595 and 6E8636 from Jeddah around 23:30 and 23:55; and Air India Express IX1115 from Fujairah around 22:55.
Passengers described tense, uncertain journeys. Olympic medallist PV Sindhu said she felt relieved to be back after intense and uncertain days and thanked airport and airline staff for their assistance.
Airlines reiterated that wider resumption of services will depend on ongoing security assessments and regulatory clearances, with schedules adjusted in real time according to conditions.
