Even as 350 flights operated by Indian domestic carriers were canceled on Sunday amid escalating conflict in the Middle East, airlines are trying to maintain vital westbound connectivity by dynamically rerouting services rather than suspending long-haul operations completely.
Air India, the only Indian airline operating to the US, said all its flights to North America will operate as per schedule starting Monday. The airline canceled 50 international flights on Sunday, and stated that its flights to the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Qatar were closed as of 23:59 EST on Monday. Track live updates about the Iran-US conflict
“In addition, selected flights to Europe scheduled for 2 March 2026 have been cancelled, along with scheduled return flights of AI117: Amritsar-Birmingham, AI151/AI152: Delhi-Zurich, AI157/AI158: Delhi-Copenhagen and AI114: Birmingham-Delhi,” the airline spokesperson said.
“All other flights to North America and Europe will operate as scheduled using alternative routes through available airspace in the Middle East, which is expected to increase flight times. In addition, flights to New York (JFK) and Newark (Liberty International) will operate with a technical stop in Rome (Fiumicino Airport).”
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IndiGo announced the cancellation of around 360 flights till March 3, and extended flexibility and exemptions to affected passengers.
“In view of airspace restrictions arising out of geopolitical developments in the Middle East, a total of 350 flights operated by Indian domestic airlines were canceled on 01.03.2026…The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) is in close coordination with airlines, airport operators and other stakeholders to proactively monitor the situation and facilitate necessary support to passengers,” the Ministry of Civil Aviation circular said.
The closure of airspace across the FIRs of Tehran, Kuwait, Israel and Baghdad has disrupted the northern corridor normally used for flights between India and Europe, forcing airlines to explore southern deviations or technical stops.
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“The closure of the Baghdad FIR at 1310 hrs AEDT on February 28 is of special significance for Indian airlines, as it directly closes the northern corridor normally used for flights between India and Europe. The current extension keeps the airspace closed until 2.30pm, India time on March 2. “The Doha FIR has been closed since the evening of February 28, with validity currently up to 11.30pm on March 1,” an official said. (Indian Standard Time).”
“The weekly impact on Indian and international airlines flying to and from India is a very conservative estimate of Rs 875 crore. Currently, Pakistani, Iranian and UAE airspace are closed, preventing access to almost all flights to Europe, the US (westbound flights) and flights to the Arabian Gulf. The chances of improvement in the airspace closure for at least one week are less,” said Mark De Martin, CEO, Martin Consulting.
“Avoiding the Middle East will not only mean a huge increase in operational costs for Indian airlines but will also increase travel time by at least two hours,” a former Air India official said.
An industry insider said: “There has been a contingency plan under discussion for over 15 days, which may lead to a decision being made on the alternative of flying to New York via Rome on Sunday. However, the situation is dynamic so airlines are forced to decide on operations on the exit day only.”
The cascading effect is starting to strain metro airports. Mumbai has temporarily rejected diversionary traffic due to shortage of aircraft parking and issued a NOTAM till 8 am on Monday rejecting diversions.
As of 6 pm Sunday, in Delhi, at least 23 flights were canceled and five flights were accommodated, with 13 aircraft classified as AOG. Mumbai recorded 160 cancellations with four AOG aircraft. Bengaluru saw 71 cancellations, while Hyderabad reported 18 cancellations and around 550 bags were piled up. Chennai recorded 27 flight cancellations and Kolkata 10, as airlines continue to readjust schedules in what officials described as a smooth operational scenario.
“Mumbai recorded the highest cancellation rate with 160 flights. The airport has 142 parking bays, but there was no connectivity or remote parking available. Four aircraft were AOG aircraft but no passenger crowding was reported inside the terminal,” the official said.
“Ahmedabad and Mumbai have temporarily refused to divert traffic due to shortage of aircraft parking. Mumbai has again issued a NOTAM notice till 8 am on Monday rejecting diversions till March 2 morning due to shortage of aircraft parking in Mumbai,” an official privy to the development said.
