Air Travel Resumes Between India and Gulf Amid Ongoing Conflict: What You Need to Know
Gradual Resumption of Flights
New Delhi: Air travel between India and the Gulf region is slowly returning to normal as airlines like Air India and IndiGo have announced both special and regular flights to assist stranded passengers amid the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict.
The conflict has led to significant disruptions, with several Middle Eastern countries temporarily closing their airspace, resulting in numerous flight cancellations and leaving many travelers stuck in the Gulf.
As some airspaces begin to reopen, airports in cities such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi are partially resuming operations, allowing airlines to restart a limited number of flights focused on evacuating stranded individuals and ensuring essential connectivity.
Air India released a statement on X, indicating that both Air India and Air India Express are continuing their scheduled flights to and from Jeddah and Muscat, which have been deemed safe for operations. They have also planned additional non-scheduled flights to and from Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Muscat, Ras Al-Khaimah, and Sharjah on March 7 to facilitate the return of stranded passengers to India. Their services to Europe and North America are operating normally via safe alternative routes.
The airline plans to operate approximately 50 flights on March 7, connecting India with six Gulf cities: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Jeddah, Ras Al Khaimah, and Sharjah.
These flights will include both regular scheduled services and additional non-scheduled flights made possible by the reopening of airspace over Saudi Arabia and Oman, allowing airlines to partially resume their operations.
Major Indian cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangaluru, and Thiruvananthapuram will be connected to various destinations in the Gulf.
Air India emphasized that these additional services are specifically designed to help passengers stranded during the crisis, and they have secured the necessary approvals from Indian authorities and aviation regulators in the Gulf.
IndiGo has also announced a limited resumption of flights to the Middle East, operating services to five destinations in the region on Saturday.
The airline acknowledged that many travelers are still attempting to reach their destinations and has developed a limited schedule while keeping an eye on the evolving situation.
Despite these efforts, disruptions remain significant, with IndiGo canceling 144 international flights scheduled for March 7 due to ongoing airspace restrictions.