Middle East: The Israel-Iran conflict has severely impacted flight operations throughout the Middle East, forcing airlines to cancel or divert flights and disrupting major transit hubs. Qatar’s Doha airport, a critical gateway for international travelers, has halted operations after Iran fired missiles at a US military base in what it has said was retaliation for American strikes on its nuclear facilities.
Dubai International Airport in the United Arab Emirates, the world’s busiest air terminal, has temporarily paused flights as passengers have been advised to expect delays and cancellations.
More than a dozen airlines have confirmed that they have cancelled services to parts of the region after tensions have escalated in recent days.
Air India has announced that it has stopped all flights to the Middle East and has suspended services to North America’s East Coast and Europe due to airspace restrictions. The airline has stated that, “Our India-bound flights from North America are diverting back to their respective origins, and others are being diverted back to India or rerouted away from the closed airspaces.”
Air India Express has added that it has diverted two Doha-bound flights following the closure of Qatar’s airspace, saying, “As a result of the ongoing situation in the Middle East and suspension of Qatar airspace, Air India Express has diverted our Doha-bound flight from Kochi to Muscat and returned our flight bound from Kannur.”
IndiGo has posted that flight arrivals and departures from Dubai, Doha, Bahrain, Dammam, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Ras Al-Khaimah and Tbilisi have been affected due to the situation.
The Gulf region has become one of the world’s key flight hubs, with Dubai and Doha airports serving nearly 400,000 travelers daily. Abu Dhabi airport handles an additional 80,000 passengers every day, acting as stopovers for long-haul journeys between Europe, Asia, and Australia.
Amid the crisis, Air India has said that it remains in close consultation with security advisers and is monitoring the situation closely. It has asked for the understanding of passengers affected by the sudden disruption.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has announced a “complete and total” ceasefire between Israel and Iran, but both nations have yet to confirm the truce.
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