Limited Flight Operations Resume Amid Ongoing Middle East Conflict

Resumption of Flights to the Middle East

On March 6, domestic airlines such as IndiGo, Air India, and SpiceJet began to gradually restore a limited number of flights to and from the Middle East. This comes as many services remain canceled due to ongoing airspace restrictions linked to the conflict between the US-Israel and Iran.

IndiGo announced it would operate 17 departures (34 sectors) on Friday to eight destinations in the Middle East, collaborating with government authorities to ensure safe resumption of services.

Air India and Air India Express confirmed the restart of flights to Jeddah and Muscat after receiving confirmation that the airspaces of Saudi Arabia and Oman were open, as reported by various sources.

SpiceJet is set to run special flights from the UAE to India on March 6 and 7, with additional services planned for March 8 to facilitate passenger travel amid the ongoing conflict.

IndiGo has advised passengers with bookings to await direct communication from the airline before heading to the airport.

Air India also announced ad-hoc repatriation flights from locations such as Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah, and Fujairah on March 6, pending regulatory approvals.

Scheduled flights to other destinations in West Asia will remain suspended until March 10. Passengers holding tickets issued before March 4 for travel between February 28 and March 8 can rebook within a month without incurring extra fees or fare differences.

Industry data indicates that traffic at Dubai International Airport nearly doubled on Thursday, reaching 25% of normal levels compared to the previous day.

From February 28 to March 5, over 44,000 flights were scheduled to operate in and out of the Middle East, with more than 25,000 flights canceled thus far.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has been coordinating with airlines and relevant agencies, activating a Passenger Assistance Control Room to help stranded travelers.

The Ministry is maintaining close communication with airlines and is actively monitoring airfares to prevent any unreasonable increases in ticket prices during this period.