New Delhi, Updated at 11:30 AM Mar 04, 2026 IST
Limited flight operations between India and parts of West Asia resumed on Tuesday, even as multiple flights returned mid-air, wide cancellations persisted and thousands remained stranded after airspace closures triggered by the Iran–US conflict.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation continues to monitor the situation. So far, 1,221 flights by Indian carriers and 388 by foreign carriers have been cancelled. At Indira Gandhi International Airport, about 80 international flights were cancelled on Tuesday; overall Delhi recorded 36 departures and 44 arrivals cancelled. Bengaluru saw 44 cancellations and Kolkata at least 10 international cancellations, with several Gulf carriers suspending services citing safety concerns.
On Tuesday Indian carriers operated 24 flights. Emirates and Etihad operated nine flights from the Gulf in the past 24 hours. Indian carriers planned 58 flights for March 4, including 30 by IndiGo and 23 by Air India and Air India Express.
Airlines have begun phased repatriation. Air India operated AI916D, landing in Delhi at 10:58 am with 149 passengers from Dubai — its first Indian-operated repatriation since the crisis escalated — and AI918D returned with 143 cockpit and cabin crew stranded in Dubai. Air India said it was deploying higher‑capacity widebodies on services to Jeddah and Dubai to bring back passengers and expected return sectors to operate at full capacity on March 4, arriving at Mumbai and Delhi.
IndiGo launched repatriation with four return flights to Jeddah and plans phased resumption to Muscat, Athens, Madinah and other destinations. The airline expects 13 return flights covering 26 sectors to be restored, subject to approvals and airspace conditions, and is planning additional UAE repatriation services from March 4.
Air India Express resumed flights to Muscat on Tuesday; its services to Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE remain suspended until further notice. The carrier said it would operate scheduled Muscat services alongside regular and additional domestic sectors to facilitate returns.
SpiceJet announced four special evacuation flights on Tuesday linking Fujairah with Delhi, Mumbai and Kochi; those flights are due to return in the early hours of Wednesday, and regular Fujairah‑Delhi and Fujairah‑Mumbai services are planned to resume from March 4 subject to clearances.
Mumbai emerged as a major arrival hub for repatriation. Arrivals included Emirates EK8506 from Dubai at 1:55 pm; Star Air S58503 and S58302 from Fujairah at about 7:30 pm and 9:00 pm; IndiGo 6E8595 and 6E8636 from Jeddah around 11:30 pm and 11:55 pm; and Air India Express IX1115 from Fujairah around 10:55 pm.
Passengers described tense conditions on return. Olympic medallist PV Sindhu said she was relieved to be home after “intense and uncertain” days and thanked airport and airline staff for their support.
Airlines say services will resume gradually based on real‑time security assessments and regulatory clearances.
