Air travel across large parts of the world continued to face severe disruption for the third consecutive day as escalating tensions linked to the war in Iran forced airlines to suspend or reroute operations across the Middle East.
Thousands of passengers were left stranded globally as carriers avoided the region's airspace and major airports shut down operations, with Dubai International Airport remaining closed during the day.
Several Indian and international airlines, including Air India, IndiGo, and Qatar Airways, extended the suspension of flights on Monday due to the ongoing conflict. Operations remained affected as multiple countries in the region announced partial or complete airspace closures.
According to data accessed by Mint from flight tracking website FlightAware, airlines worldwide cancelled more than 2,700 flights, while over 12,300 flights were delayed as of 1720 GMT on Sunday.
Air India suspends Middle East and select Europe flights
Air India confirmed that it had extended the suspension of its operations across several Middle Eastern destinations.
In a post on X, the airline said its flights to the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Qatar would remain suspended due to the prevailing situation and the closure of Dubai International Airport.
“In view of the continuing situation in the Middle East, Air India has extended the suspension of all flights to and from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Qatar until 2359 hrs IST on 2 March 2026,” the airline said.
The carrier also announced cancellations of some Europe-bound services scheduled for March 2, 2026, along with their return legs.
The affected flights include AI117 from Amritsar to Birmingham; AI151 and AI152 between Delhi and Zurich; AI157 and AI158 between Delhi and Copenhagen; and AI114 from Birmingham to Delhi.
Meanwhile, low-cost carrier IndiGo stated that it had prolonged the temporary suspension of select international flights that use Middle East airspace.
The airline asked passengers to check its website for updated information on cancellations.
“In view of the prevailing situation, the temporary suspension of select international flights that use Middle East airspace has been extended until 2 March 2026, 2359 hrs IST,” IndiGo said. It added that passengers should refer to the list of cancelled flights available on its official website.
The airline described the extension as “a precautionary measure to ensure that the highest standards of safety for customers and crew are maintained.”
Budget carrier Akasa Air also announced a suspension of all its Middle East flights. The airline said services to and from Abu Dhabi, Doha, Jeddah, Kuwait and Riyadh would remain suspended for March 3.
“Due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East, all Akasa Air flights to and from Abu Dhabi, Doha, Jeddah, Kuwait and Riyadh have been suspended for March 03, 2026,” the airline said, adding that flight status updates would continue based on how the situation evolves.
Akasa Air further stated that passengers with bookings to or from these cities until March 7, 2026, could opt for a full refund or reschedule their journey without paying any additional charges.
International carriers remain grounded
The conflict has also heavily affected international airlines, particularly those based in the Middle East.
Qatar Airways announced a complete halt to its operations following the closure of the country's airspace.
“Qatar Airways flight operations remain temporarily suspended due to the closure of Qatari airspace,” the airline said. It added that services would resume only after the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority announces that the airspace has safely reopened.
The airline noted that a further update would be issued on March 3 by 09:00 Doha time (06:00 UTC).
Passengers were advised to monitor the status of their flights through the airline's official website or mobile application.
Similarly, Emirates suspended all operations to and from Dubai due to multiple airspace closures across the region.
“Due to multiple regional airspace closures, Emirates has temporarily suspended all operations to and from Dubai until 1500 hrs UAE time on Monday, 2 March,” the airline said in a post on X.
Emirates added that passengers could either reschedule their travel within 20 days of the original departure date or cancel their booking and request a refund.
Airports Shut Amid Airspace Closures
Dubai International Airport confirmed that operations at both DXB and Dubai World Central, Al Maktoum International Airport were suspended until further notice.
Countries including Iran, Iraq, Israel, Syria, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates announced partial closures of their airspace as the conflict intensified.
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