IndiGo has made it clear they will maintain their service to and from Jeddah while progressively resuming flights. They will also be conducting special relief flights from Jeddah back to Indian cities for passengers who had their travel plans interrupted by the conflict. The company says that flights will be subject to ongoing regulatory approvals, though. 

Air India Express is also continuing return services to Oman, with the beginning of new flights between Muscat and India.

On March 3 and March 4, Akasa Air declared that they would be providing a limited number of flights to Jeddah after an extensive safety assessment had been conducted on the airline. However, they have also made it clear that all flights to Abu Dhabi, Doha, Kuwait, and Riyadh will continue to be suspended until further notice, pending further reviews and assessments.

On March 3, SpiceJet has scheduled special repatriation flights from Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, to Delhi, Mumbai, and Kochi. Additionally, they have indicated that, depending on operational functions, they will be resuming selected regular service on some sectors starting March 4, as well.

Passengers should contact the customer care center of the airline directly before traveling to the airport to verify whether your flight is still scheduled. Airlines also recommend that you check your flight status directly with the corresponding airline.

Flights To Metropolises In India Are Coming Back Online After Operation By Airports

Late Monday evening, flights were restored from both Dubai and Abu Dhabi to Delhi, Mumbai and Bengalaru. It was reported that an Emirates flight from Dubai to Mumbai was successfully landed at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, due to a significant amount of coordination between airport and airline officials.

Both parties said that the restoration of air travel (flights) was gradual and controlled, they also emphasized that airlines would continue to add capacity if there were additional backlogs of passengers remaining.

Cancellations Continue at Major Indian Airports 

Following the partial reopening of Gulf airspace, disruptions continue at all major international airports in India before.

As a result of operational constraints arising from conflicts in the West Asia region, Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL), New Delhi has cancelled approximately 80 international flights on Tuesday (36 departing from, and 44 arriving at, DEL).

According to flight-tracking data, EK513, operated by Emirates Airlines, departed DEL for Dubai and was diverted back to DEL after takeoff due to airspace restrictions. Airport officials have confirmed that the EK513 aircraft successfully landed in New Delhi after being rerouted.

In Kolkata, airlines canceled at least 10 international flights. International airlines connecting Kolkata with important West Asian sites (for example, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, and Air Arabia) suspended service altogether.

As a result, airport officials have been closely coordinating with airlines and security forces to maintain social order and to ensure that all passengers are being safely transported.

Government Assesses Status of Situation, Coordinates Response With Missions

The Ministry of Civil Aviation held a high-level meeting to assess the ongoing situation. Civil Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu chaired the meeting. The agencies also hope to incrementally restart long-haul services through alternative routes that avoid areas affected by air restrictions.

According to the ministry, efforts are currently being undertaken to reposition aircraft and crews so that operational stability can be restored as quickly as possible. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has reminded all airlines that they must communicate clearly with passengers and adhere to government regulations regarding refunding tickets and/or rescheduling flights.

The authorities stated that they are in communication with airport operators, regulatory agencies, foreign aviation authorities, and the Ministry of External Affairs to ensure continued safe operation of air transport and to assist stranded airline passengers.

The Cabinet Committee on Security assessed the state of safety of the Indian diaspora living in countries in the Gulf region, and organisations were advised to take the necessary steps to assist those affected.

The aerial disruptions also follow retaliatory US/Israel attacks on Iran on February 28 and subsequent Iranian drone and missile strikes on various locations in the Gulf region. 

Airspace remained closed over Iran, Iraq and Israel, while Jordan implemented temporary restrictions. Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have implemented partial and/or temporary airspace closures.

U.S. Department of State urges American citizens to leave 13 countries, such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon, and Oman, immediately by any means of commercial travel due to extreme safety concerns; however, the complete restriction of the entire region’s airspace has severely limited available travel options.

On March 2, Etihad Airways (long-haul carrier), Emirates Airline (long-haul carrier), and FlyDubai (low-cost carrier) planned to start limited outbound services from the UAE. Therefore, authorities at the Dubai Airports have directed that travellers to not go to Dubai International Airport until they received confirming phone calls from their respective airlines regarding the expected time of departure.

Numerous Airlines operating on routes from India to Dubai have reported returning to their originating cities shortly after takeoff due to sudden changes in airspace restrictions. Airlines will continue to monitor current developments and grow schedules accordingly.