More than 10,000 flights operated by Indian airlines have been canceled since February 28 as airspace disruptions continue in West Asia in the wake of US-Israeli military operations, according to people familiar with the matter.
“Between February 28 and April 5, Indian airlines canceled 10,341 flights, while foreign airlines reported 2,177 flight cancellations,” an official said, requesting anonymity. “On Sunday alone, Air India canceled 284 flights, taking the cumulative number of affected passengers to over 10.79 lakh.”
The disruptions stem from restrictions on key air corridors in the Middle East, forcing airlines to reroute flights, operate longer sectors, or suspend services altogether.
“The airspace situation across the region remains unchanged since the last advisory issued on March 17. Despite the restrictions, Indian airlines have maintained continuous connectivity through a mix of scheduled and non-scheduled operations (NSOP), particularly in the high-demand India and Middle East sectors,” a second official said.
Between February 28 and April 3, Air India carried 2,40,254 passengers and made 45 NSOP movements, the official said.
“In comparison, foreign airlines carried 443,881 passengers and carried out 18,924 NSOP movements during the same period,” the second official added.
On April 4, Indian airlines operated 44 flights from West Asia, returning 8,061 passengers, a third official said.
“Foreign carriers carried 19,215 passengers and conducted 825 NSOP movements on the same day. Overall, more than 7.3 lakh passengers have been flown to India since the unrest began,” the third official said. He added that Indian airlines have planned 42 flights coming from the region on April 5, indicating ongoing efforts to maintain passenger movement amid operational challenges.
Officials have confirmed that one Air India Express (VT-AXX) aircraft remains stranded in Abu Dhabi due to ongoing restrictions. However, they said domestic airport operations were not affected, with no congestion reported across Indian airports.
“Airlines continue to readjust schedules in response to evolving airspace conditions, even as uncertainty remains over the duration of disruptions,” one official said.
Air India and Air India Express said on Sunday that they will together operate 30 scheduled and non-scheduled flights to and from West Asia on Monday, subject to prevailing conditions.
Likewise, IndiGo said it will operate selected flights on these routes, adding that schedules are being evaluated regularly in coordination with relevant authorities. It advised travelers to check the flight status before heading to the airport.
