Air travel in the Middle East is restarting cautiously after disruptions caused by the US-Israeli attack on Iran. India’s civil aviation ministry said carriers are gradually restoring long-haul operations through alternative routings that avoid restricted Middle East airspace. Aircraft and crew repositioning is under way to stabilise schedules.
A flight from Abu Dhabi landed in Delhi on Monday as airlines across the Middle East began cautiously restoring limited services after days of disruption caused by the US-Israeli attack on Iran, with schedules still fragile and liable to change at short notice.
India-linked travel is slowly resuming. According to PTI, the Abu Dhabi flight arrived at Indira Gandhi International Airport, with passengers describing tense skies over the Gulf. Another Etihad Airways flight from Abu Dhabi is also landing in Mumbai.
“We could see missiles being constantly intercepted. The airspace is very busy. There was not a very visible impact in Abu Dhabi,” returnee Shiv said.
Air India Express said it would resume flights to and from Muscat from 3 March, restoring connections with Delhi, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangaluru, Mumbai and Tiruchirappally. Travel platform EaseMyTrip has also announced to run special charter flights from Fujairah in the UAE to Delhi and Mumbai on March 3, scheduled between 7 pm and 9 pm, to assist passengers affected by the disruption. The company said seats are limited and will be allocated on a first-come basis, urging those in urgent need to get in touch promptly.
While Emirates would begin operating a limited number of flights from the evening of March 2, focusing first on customers with earlier bookings. “We are accommodating customers with earlier bookings as a priority,” the airline said, adding that rebooked passengers would be contacted directly.
“Please do not go to the airport unless you have been notified,” Emirates said, stressing that most flights remain suspended. “All other flights remain suspended until further notice. The safety and security of our passengers and crew remain our highest priority.”
Budget carrier Flydubai also confirmed it would run a small number of flights from March 2. “Customers are advised to update their contact details and check Flight status before travelling to the airport,” it said.
CAUTIOUS REOPENING AMID AIRSPACE RISKS
The broader regional network remains heavily constrained. Etihad Airways said all scheduled passenger flights to and from Abu Dhabi are suspended until 14:00 UAE time on 4 March (15:30 IST), though some repositioning, cargo and repatriation flights may operate with government approval.
“Guests should not travel to the airport unless they have been contacted directly by Etihad,” the airline said, adding that services would resume only when safety criteria are met.
Air India has extended its own suspension of Middle East flights until late 3 March, citing ongoing airspace closures across the region. The airline said it was “closely monitoring and assessing the evolving situation in the Middle East” while maintaining services to North America, Europe and the UK.
