Iran conflict: Airspace closures force Air India to cancel 50 Europe, North America flights; IndiGo cancels Europe flights

The conflict in West Asia and the airspace restrictions there have significantly hit European operations of Air India and IndiGo, and North American operations of Air India. Unlike other international carriers, Air India and IndiGo cannot overfly Pakistan, which makes them extremely dependent on West Asian corridors to fly beyond the region. While all Indian airlines have suspended flights to West Asian destinations, Air India and IndiGo—the only Indian carriers that operate direct flights beyond the region—have cancelled numerous other international flights as well on Sunday. As the crisis and airspace restrictions persisted for the second day, Air India announced cancellation of 50 flights to and from Europe and North America on Sunday (March 1), with nearly all flights to destinations in Europe and the UK cancelled for the day. As for the airline’s North American operations, a bulk of the flights were cancelled, even as some flights—particularly those flying to India—operated using alternate routings, as per flight tracking data. IndiGo, which does not fly to North America, has cancelled its flights to Europe, the UK, and Turkey till midnight of March 2. Late Sunday, Air India announced that six flights to and from Europe and the UK have been cancelled for Monday but the airline plans to operate all other flights to Europe and North American using alternative routings over available airspace corridors in the Middle East, which will lead to additional flying time for all flights and refuelling stops in Rome for a few of them. The carrier said that it carefully assessed the evolving circumstances across multiple parameters, including safety, security, airspace availability, and operational feasibility, before deciding on these operations for Monday. The flights cancelled by Air India for March 1 include Mumbai-London, Delhi- Birmingham, Delhi-Amsterdam, Delhi-Zurich, Delhi-Milan, Delhi-Vienna, Bengaluru-London, Delhi-Copenhagen, Delhi-London, Delhi-Frankfurt, Amritsar-London (Gatwick), Delhi-New York, Mumbai-New York, Mumbai-Newark, Delhi-Chicago, Delhi-Toronto, Mumbai-Frankfurt, and Delhi-Paris. Their return legs were also cancelled. For Monday, the airline announced the cancellation of its Amritsar-Birmingham, Delhi-Zurich, Zurich-Delhi, Delhi-Copenhagen, Copenhagen-Delhi, and Birmingham-Delhi flights. As for IndiGo, which has a much smaller long-haul network as compared to India, services to Istanbul, Amsterdam, London, Athens, and Manchester stand cancelled. The airline had earlier suspended its operations to destinations in Central Asia and the Caucasus—Almaty, Tashkent, Baku, and Tbilisi—till March 28 as it was avoiding Iranian airspace for the past few weeks. These flight cancellations by Air India and IndiGo are over and above the cancellation of flights to and from destinations in West Asia. Early Sunday, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) said that 444 flights by Indian airlines were expected to be cancelled on Sunday due to airspace restrictions in large parts of West Asia, but updated the estimate to 350 cancellations by Sunday evening. All major Indian carriers operate flights to West Asia. A number of international airlines have also announced suspension of operations in the region, and are being forced to take alternative routes to bypass much of West Asia. Flying in conflict zones is a major risk to civil aviation safety and most airlines proactively avoid transiting such regions even when their airspace is available. Other international carriers operating to and from India are in a relatively better position as they are using the Pakistani airspace to fly to Europe and beyond while still avoiding flying over West Asia. According to data from aviation analytics company Cirium, 966 of 4,218 flights scheduled to arrive at West Asian airports on Saturday were cancelled. In all, over 1,800 flights—arrivals and departures—were cancelled at West Asian airports on Saturday. The conflict and the consequent airspace closures have had a cascading impact on flight operations globally, primarily due to the suspension of operations at busy global aviation hubs like Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi airports, which operate as massive transit hubs connecting flyers from all over the world. Thousands of passengers have been left stranded, not just at West Asian airports, but also in other parts of Asia and even Europe due to the sudden cancellation of scores of flights. The DGCA on Saturday advised all Indian aircraft operators to refrain from operating in the affected airspace and closely monitor all updated Aeronautical Information Publications (AIPs) and Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) issued by the affected countries and their national authorities. The DGCA advisory listed the airspace of 11 countries as a “high-risk zone”. These include Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, the UAE, and Qatar. Apart from Iran and Israel, other countries whose airspaces were closed fully or partially include Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan, Bahrain, Syria, Qatar, and the UAE. Indian carriers were already avoiding the Iranian airspace for the past few weeks, but the broader West Asian airspace is important for them not just because of their operations in the region, but overflying to destinations in Europe and North America. If the airspace restrictions in the region stay in place for an extended period, it could significantly impact Indian airlines’ operations to West Asia and beyond. For reaching destinations in Europe and beyond while skirting most of the West Asian airspace, the carriers would need to take longer routes, and even refueling halts in some cases, leading to higher operational costs. “Close monitoring and careful assessment of the evolving situation in the Middle East have necessitated further curtailment of our scheduled operations, with the safety and security of our customers and crew remaining our highest priority…We regret the inconvenience caused and are making every effort to assist affected passengers with rebooking and alternative travel arrangements. Passengers impacted by the cancellations are being informed on their registered contact numbers,” an Air India spokesperson said. “We continue to observe developments across parts of the Middle East and surrounding regions with utmost attentiveness. We understand that this period may feel uncertain, and we want to reassure you that every decision is being taken with care and prudence. In view of the prevailing situation, the temporary suspension of select international flights that use Middle East airspace, has been extended until 2nd March 2026, 2359 hrs IST… This extension is a precautionary measure to ensure that we uphold the highest standards of safety for our customers and crew,” IndiGo said in a travel advisory on Sunday. In a post on social media platform X early Sunday, MoCA said: “Due to airspace restrictions over Iran and parts of the Middle East, 410 flights of domestic carriers were cancelled on 28 February, and 444 flights are expected to be cancelled on 1 March. DGCA is maintaining close coordination with airlines to ensure full compliance with safety and operational regulations. Passengers are advised to check and confirm their flight status with the respective airlines before proceeding to the airport. Major airports remain on operational alert to manage potential diversions and ensure seamless passenger facilitation. Passenger assistance, airline coordination, and terminal crowd management are being closely monitored, with senior officials deployed on the ground.” Sukalp Sharma is a Deputy Associate Editor with The Indian Express and writes on a host of subjects and sectors, notably energy and aviation. He has over 16 years of experience in journalism with a body of work spanning areas like politics, development, equity markets, corporates, trade, and economic policy. He considers himself an above-average photographer, which goes well with his love for travel. ... Read More