Airlines across the world have suspended routes, cancelled flights and rerouted aircraft after airspace restrictions over Iran and parts of the Middle East disrupted a key global aviation corridor. The shock has travelled quickly through international networks that rely on West Asia as a bridge between Europe and Asia, forcing carriers to avoid multiple airspaces and leaving planes, crews and passengers stranded across continents.

India cancellations surge; airports on diversion alert, complaints monitored

MoCA said 410 flights of domestic carriers were cancelled on February 28, and 444 flights are expected to be cancelled on March 1, citing airspace restrictions over Iran and parts of the Middle East. The ministry said the DGCA is maintaining close coordination with airlines to ensure compliance with safety and operational norms, urging passengers to check and confirm flight status before leaving for the airport.

MoCA said major airports remain on “operational alert” to manage potential diversions and ensure passenger facilitation, adding that “passenger assistance, airline coordination, and terminal crowd management are being closely monitored, with senior officials deployed on the ground.” The ministry’s Passenger Assistance Control Room (PACR) is monitoring concerns; MoCA said on X: “On 28 February, AirSewa recorded 216 grievances, and 105 grievances were resolved during the same period.”

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Air India and Air India Express: Long-haul cancellations and Gulf suspension

Air India said it cancelled 28 flights scheduled on March 1, 2026 connecting India with Europe, the US and Canada, citing safety concerns amid the evolving Middle East situation. In its advisory, the airline said: “As part of our continuing assessment of the evolving situation in the Middle East, in the interest of the safety and security of our guests and staff, Air India has cancelled the following flights scheduled on 01 March 2026.” It added: “We sincerely regret the inconvenience… supporting with alternative options… We will continue to closely monitor the situation and share further updates based on our risk assessments.”

Air India announces more flight cancellations

Air India, in its latest update, stated, “closely monitoring and assessing the evolving situation in the Middle East” and this has “necessitated further curtailment” of scheduled operations, The airline has announced a fresh cancelled flight list for March 1:

  • AI131 / AI130: Mumbai – London (Heathrow) / London (Heathrow) – Mumbai
  • AI113 / AI118: Delhi – Birmingham / Birmingham – Delhi
  • AI155 / AI156: Delhi – Amsterdam / Amsterdam – Delhi
  • AI151 / AI152: Delhi – Zurich / Zurich – Delhi
  • AI137 / AI138: Delhi – Milan / Milan – Delhi
  • AI153 / AI154: Delhi – Vienna / Vienna – Delhi
  • AI133 / AI132: Bengaluru – London (Heathrow) / London (Heathrow) – Bengaluru
  • AI157 / AI158: Delhi – Copenhagen / Copenhagen – Delhi
  • AI2017 / AI2018 and AI2015 / AI2016: Delhi – London (Heathrow) / London (Heathrow) – Delhi
  • AI2029 / AI2030: Delhi – Frankfurt / Frankfurt – Delhi

Air India’s March 1 cancellation includes services such as Delhi/Mumbai–London Heathrow, Amritsar–London Gatwick, Delhi/Mumbai–New York JFK, Mumbai–Newark, Delhi–Chicago (via Vienna), Delhi–Toronto (via Vienna), Delhi/Mumbai–Frankfurt, and Delhi–Paris, along with corresponding return legs.

Air India Express also stated on X: “Air India Express flights to the Gulf region are suspended till 23:59 hrs on 1 March 2026.” It also announced a passenger waiver: travellers are eligible for a free date change or cancellation for journeys scheduled till March 5, 2026.

As per the latest updates, IndiGo has also cancelled 180 flights. Here is the full list:

Flight NumberSectorDateCancellation Reason
6E 1232KWI – DEL2nd March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1234KWI – HYD2nd March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1244KWI – AMD2nd March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1272MCT – COK2nd March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1274MCT – HYD2nd March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1301BLR – DOH2nd March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1303BOM – DOH2nd March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1321MAA – DOH2nd March 2026
6E 1342DOH – BOM2nd March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1346DOH – DEL2nd March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1406AUH – DEL2nd March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1416AUH – LKO2nd March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1424SHJ – LKO2nd March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1432AUH – AMD2nd March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1437AUH – IXE2nd March 2026
6E 1443AUH – VTZ2nd March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1492RKT – BOM2nd March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1496RKT – HYD2nd March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 18RKT – BOM2nd March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 54RUH – BLR2nd March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 58MED – HYD2nd March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 68JED – HYD2nd March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 78JED – BLR2nd March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 82DMM – BOM2nd March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 84DMM – DEL2nd March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 86DMM – HYD2nd March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 88DMM – CCJ2nd March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 94RUH – HYD2nd March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1BOM – LHR1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 11DEL – RKT1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 11RKT – IST1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 12IST – RKT1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 12RKT – DEL1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1201BOM – BAH1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1202BAH – BOM1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1231DEL – KWI1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1232KWI – DEL1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1233HYD – KWI1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1234KWI – HYD1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1235BOM – KWI1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1236KWI – BOM1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1243AMD – KWI1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1244KWI – AMD1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1267BOM – MCT1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1268MCT – BOM1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1271COK – MCT1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1272MCT – COK1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1273HYD – MCT1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1274MCT – HYD1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1301BLR – DOH1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1302DOH – BLR1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1303BOM – DOH1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1306DOH – BOM1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1307DEL – DOH1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1308DOH – DEL1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1313HYD – DOH1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1315HYD – DOH1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1318DOH – HYD1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1321MAA – DOH1st March 2026
6E 1322DOH – MAA1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1323COK – DOH1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1324DOH – COK1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1341BOM – DOH1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1342DOH – BOM1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1345DEL – DOH1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1346DOH – DEL1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1401BOM – AUH1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1402AUH – BOM1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1403COK – AUH1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1404AUH – COK1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1405DEL – AUH1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1406AUH – DEL1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1407HYD – AUH1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1408AUH – HYD1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1409AUH – BLR1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1411MAA – AUH1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1412AUH – MAA1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1413BOM – AUH1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1414AUH – BOM1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1415LKO – AUH1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1416AUH – LKO1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1419BLR – AUH1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1421HYD – SHJ1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1422SHJ – HYD1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1423LKO – SHJ1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1424SHJ – LKO1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1425TRV – SHJ1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1426SHJ – TRV1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1427ATQ – SHJ1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1428SHJ – ATQ1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1431AMD – AUH1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1432AUH – AMD1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1433CNN – AUH1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1434AUH – CNN1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1435CCJ – AUH1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1436AUH – CCJ1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1438IXE – AUH1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1443AUH – VTZ1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1444VTZ – AUH1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1448HYD – AUH1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1449AUH – HYD1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1451BOM – DXB1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1452DXB – BOM1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1453BOM – DXB1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1454DXB – BOM1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1455BOM – DXB1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1456DXB – BOM1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1461DEL – DXB1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1462DXB – DEL1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1463DEL – DXB1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1464DXB – DEL1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1465HYD – DXB1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1466DXB – HYD1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1467IXE – DXB1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1468DXB – IXE1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1471MAA – DXB1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1472DXB – MAA1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1473CCJ – DXB1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1474DXB – CCJ1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1475COK – DXB1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1476DXB – COK1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1477AMD – DXB1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1478DXB – AMD1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1481IXC – DXB1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1482DXB – IXC1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1483PNQ – DXB1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1484DXB – PNQ1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1485BLR – DXB1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1486DXB – BLR1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1491BOM – RKT1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1492RKT – BOM1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1495HYD – RKT1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1496RKT – HYD1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1497CJB – AUH1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1498AUH – CJB1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1501BOM – FJR1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1502FJR – BOM1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1503CNN – FJR1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1504FJR – CNN1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1517COK – RKT1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1518RKT – COK1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 17BOM – RKT1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 17RKT – IST1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 18RKT – BOM1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 18IST – RKT1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1901DEL – ATH1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 1904ATH – BOM1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 2LHR – BOM1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 21BOM – AMS1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 22AMS – BOM1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 32MAN – BOM1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 33DEL – MAN1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 53BLR – RUH1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 54RUH – BLR1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 57HYD – MED1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 58MED – HYD1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 59BOM – MED1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 60MED – BOM1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 61BOM – JED1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 62JED – BOM1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 63DEL – JED1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 64JED – DEL1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 65CCJ – JED1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 66JED – CCJ1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 67HYD – JED1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 68JED – HYD1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 71DEL – RUH1st March 2026
6E 72RUH – DEL1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 73BOM – RUH1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 74RUH – BOM1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 75AMD – JED1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 76JED – AMD1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 77BLR – JED1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 78JED – BLR1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 81BOM – DMM1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 82DMM – BOM1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 83DEL – DMM1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 84DMM – DEL1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 85HYD – DMM1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 86DMM – HYD1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 87CCJ – DMM1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 88DMM – CCJ1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 91BOM – JED1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 92JED – BOM1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 93HYD – RUH1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 94RUH – HYD1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 97LKO – DMM1st March 2026Airspace Restriction
6E 98DMM – LKO1st March 2026Airspace Restriction

Etihad suspends Abu Dhabi flights amid airspace closures

Etihad Airways on its official X account stated that ongoing regional airspaces closures continue to disrupt its operations, with all flights to and from Abu Dhabi suspended until 02.00 UAE time on March 2. The airline advised passengers to check their flight status before heading to the airport and ensure their contact details are updated in bookings. Flyers those have tickets issued on or before February 28 for journeys up to March 2 can rebook free of charge on Etihad-operated flights until March 15, while those who want to cancel their bookings can request a full refund. Etihad said it is coordinating closely with authorities and will resume normal operations once conditions permit.

Passengers stranded at Delhi Airport; Watch video here

Delhi IGI Airport saw stranded passengers amid flight disruptions and cancellations related to the situation in the Middle East. In a video as shared by ANI, a passenger said that they were supposed to fly from Delhi to Saudi Arabia but their flight was cancelled, adding that they had been waiting for 14 hours without any update and the situation was becoming “very difficult”.

Airlines halt routes, regulators warn; hubs suspend operations

The flight disruption spread rapidly across the Middle East on February 28, affecting one of the world’s most important east–west transit regions. A Gulf airline source told Reuters: “You have crews, planes and passengers stranded all over the world. It’s a massive logistical nightmare.”

The following flight services have been cancelled and suspended:

  • Dubai Airports suspended all flights at Dubai International and Al Maktoum International “until further notice” and urged passengers not to travel to the airport during the suspension.
  • Emirates and flydubai temporarily halted operations, while Etihad suspended all departures from Abu Dhabi until 10:00 GMT on Sunday, Reuters said.
  • The EU aviation regulator EASA recommended its airlines stay out of airspace affected by the ongoing military intervention .
  • British Airways cancelled flights to Tel Aviv and Bahrain until March 3, and Saturday flights to Amman .
  • Lufthansa suspended flights to/from Dubai on Saturday and Sunday and halted Tel Aviv, Beirut and Oman routes until March 7 .
  • Air France and Iberia cancelled flights to Tel Aviv and Beirut.
  • Wizz Air suspended flights to Israel, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Amman.
  • Cathay Pacific suspended operations in the region affecting passenger flights to/from Dubai and Riyadh, and also freighter services operating through Al Maktoum in Dubai.
  • Russia’s Ministry of Transport said Russian carriers suspended flights to Iran and Israel.
  • KLM brought forward the suspension of its Amsterdam–Tel Aviv service, cancelling the Saturday flight it had planned to operate.
  • Virgin Atlantic said it would temporarily avoid Iraqi airspace, leading to rerouting of some flights.
  • Qatar Airways and Kuwait Airways temporarily suspended flights; it indicated operations would resume at a stated time on Sunday.

Widespread airspace closures and global carrier impacted

As the conflict erupted, multiple states declared airspace closed, triggering diversions around alternate routing points including Larnaca, Jeddah, Cairo and Riyadh, as per a report by Al Jazeera.It also carried a warning from a senior Iranian official: “All American and Israeli assets and interests in the Middle East have become a legitimate target… There are no red lines after this aggression, and everything is possible.” Al Jazeera also listed numerous airlines announcing suspensions across the region, underlining the breadth of disruption