Flight Status March 6 Highlights: 278 flights cancelled as West Asia tensions disrupt Indian air travel

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Air India and Air India Express continue to operate scheduled flights to and from Jeddah and Muscat, which have been assessed as safe for operations.

Additional non-scheduled flights have been planned for March 7 to operate between India and Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Muscat, Ras Al-Khaimah and Sharjah to bring back stranded passengers.

Air India’s services to Europe and North America are operating normally via safe alternative routings.

Full details here

India's Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) said flight operations have been disrupted due to ongoing developments in West Asia and airspace restrictions.

-96 flight operations were scheduled by Indian domestic carriers to and from West Asia on March 6.

-278 flights scheduled for the day have been cancelled by Indian domestic airlines.

Passengers have been advised to check the latest flight updates and stay alert to communications from their airlines.

1,881 passenger grievances have been resolved so far through AirSewa, social media platforms and helpline calls, it said.

Passengers needing assistance can contact the PACR helpline numbers: 011-24604283 / 011-24632987.

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said the airline is in talks with the Trump administration about potential charter flights to evacuate US citizens from the Middle East if needed.

The discussions come as regional tensions and conflict continue to disrupt travel and airspace across parts of the Middle East.

Emirates expects to return to 100% of its network within the coming days, subject to airspace availability and operational requirements.

The airline said it carried around 30,000 passengers out of Dubai on Thursday.

By Saturday, Emirates said it will operate 106 return daily flights. The flights will serve 83 destinations.

Network Recovery Level: This represents nearly 60% of the airline’s total route network, it said.

Amid the travel chaos, IndiGo announced a month-long window for free cancellations and rescheduling until March 31.

Air India has also offered passengers with confirmed bookings made on or before February 28, 2026 the option to reschedule their travel for free or receive a full refund if they cancel.The offer applies to flights to and from the Middle East, the UK and Europe, for journeys scheduled until March 10, 2026.

According to a report published by Bloomberg on Friday, the number of cancelled flights to Middle East hubs has surpassed 27,000 since US-Israel jointly attacked Iran, with the conflict spreading to the Gulf nations.

Of the 51,600 scheduled flights to or from the Middle East since 28 February, more than half have been cancelled, as per data from analytics firm Cirium Ltd.

The West Asia conflict has caused massive disruptions in flight operations. On Friday, seven flights operating to and from Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport to Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi were cancelled due to the present situation in West Asia, an Airports Authority of India (AAI) statement said.

The cancelled services include flights operated by Air Arabia, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways and Emirates, all of which connect Kolkata with the three major transit hubs in the Gulf region.

On Friday, seven international flights from Kolkata to Gulf cities including Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi, among others were cancelled due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia, officials said, reported PTI.

The cancelled services include flights operated by Air Arabia, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways and Emirates, all of which connect Kolkata with the three major transit hubs in the Gulf region.

Deutsche Lufthansa AG is considering adding more long-haul flights to Asia and Africa amid massive disruptions in flight operations due to the ongoing Israel-Iran-US conflict. The group is studying additional frequencies to destinations including Singapore, India, China and South Africa, it said in a statement on Friday.

– Today, Etihad Airways resumed a limited commercial flight schedule from Abu Dhabi amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia.

– The airline said it will operate select routes to major global destinations until March 19. Passengers with previous bookings will be re-accommodated as soon as possible on these flights.

– These services will connect the UAE capital with several major international destinations across Asia, Europe and North America.

The number of canceled flights to Middle East hubs has surpassed 27,000 since fighting began even as carriers look to resume some operations.

Thousands of passengers have been stranded in the Gulf region.

On Friday, the carrier will operate 9 flights from Fujairah to Mumbai, 4 services to Delhi and 1 from Dubai to Pune, according to a statement.

In the last three days, SpiceJet said it has operated 25 special flights from the UAE to Delhi, Mumbai and Kochi.

Deutsche Lufthansa AG is considering more capacity on routes to Asia and Africa amid growing demand on longhaul routes, highlighting how the war in Iran has upended passengers flows that would previously have been served by Middle Eastern carriers.

Europe’s largest aviation group is studying additional frequencies on routes to and from Asia and Africa, such as Singapore, India, China and South Africa, it said in a statement Friday. At the same time, Lufthansa cautioned that the conflict has injected uncertainty into any outlook.

“SpiceJet will operate fourteen special flights from the United Arab Emirates on March 6 to facilitate the return of stranded Indian nationals,” SpiceJet said in a statement.

Of the 14 flights, 13 will operate from Fujairah and one will operate from Dubai. The airline will operate nine special flights from Fujairah to Mumbai, four special flights from Fujairah to Delhi and one special flight from Dubai to Pune, providing additional capacity to help stranded passengers return home at the earliest.

“Qatar Airways scheduled flight operations remain temporarily suspended due to the closure of Qatari airspace. Qatar Airways will resume operations once the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority announces the safe reopening of Qatari airspace by the relevant authorities. A further update will be provided on 7 March by 09:00 Doha time (06:00 UTC),” says Qatar Airways in a fresh update.

“As the situation in Middle East remains volatile, IndiGo extends free waivers on cancellations up till the 31st of March 2026,” IndiGo said in an update.

All of Lufthansa Group's airlines have cancelled flights to Tel Aviv, Beirut, Amman, Jordan, Erbil, Iraq, Dammam, Saudi Arabia, and Tehran until March 8.

The group also will not use the airspace over Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Dammam, and Iran until 8 March.

Three Air India Express flights from Dubai on 6 March. Here's the list:

IX 1117/1118 - Mumbai

IX 1115/1116 - Bengaluru

IX 313/314 - Kozhikode

Full list of Etihad flights operating to and from Abu Dhabi till 19 March:

Italy’s foreign ministry said about 2,500 Italians have returned from Abu Dhabi, Riyadh and Muscat on commercial flights facilitated by the ministry.

Emirates, Air Arabia and Oman Air have operated their flights to Thiruvananthapuram International Airport.

Air Arabia has scheduled one more flight to Sharjah from the Thiruvananthapuram airport this evening, according to airport sources.

“Most flights remain suspended. Please do not come to the airport unless your airline has confirmed your departure time. Guests without a confirmed flight may not be able to access the terminals,” the Dubai International Airport said on Thursday.

Etihad Airways on Friday resumed a limited commercial flight schedule from Abu Dhabi amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia.

The airline will operate select routes to major global destinations until March 19. Passengers with previous bookings will be re-accommodated as soon as possible on these flights.

These services will connect the UAE capital with several major international destinations across Asia, Europe and North America.

Shares of Qantas Airways fell more than 3% on Friday, Air New Zealand was down nearly 7%, Hong Kong's flagship carrier Cathay Pacific dropped more than 2%, while Singapore Airlines was down over 1%.

Higher oil prices have sent jet fuel costs soaring, with Singapore jet fuel reaching a record high of $225 a barrel this week, which traders attributed to concerns about supply shortages from Middle Eastern refiners.

Following drone strikes on Nakhchivan International Airport (NAJ) earlier on 5 March, Azerbaijan has closed the airspace in its southern sector.

Americans arriving at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York described a stressful journey home after being stranded in Dubai amid heightened tensions in the region

As of Thursday, traffic at Dubai airport, normally the world's busiest, had almost doubled from Wednesday, but remained only about 25% of normal levels, flight-tracking website Flightradar24 said.

Flight No: 6E 59; From: Mumbai; To: Medina

Flight No: 6E 58; From: Medina; To: Hyderabad

Flight No: 6E 63; From: Delhi; To: Jeddah

Flight No: 6E 64; From: Jeddah; To: Delhi

Flight No: 6E 77; From: Bengaluru; To: Jeddah

Flight No: 6E 66; From: Jeddah; To: Kozhikode

Flight No: 6E 65; From: Kozhikode; To: Jeddah

Flight No: 6E 62; From: Jeddah; To: Mumbai

Flight No: 6E 67; From: Hyderabad; To: Jeddah

Flight No: 6E 68; From: Jeddah; To: Hyderabad

Flight No: 6E 91; From: Mumbai; To: Jeddah

Flight No: 6E 78; From: Jeddah; To: Bengaluru

Flight No: 6E 1271; From: Kochi; To: Muscat

Flight No: 6E 1272; From: Muscat; To: Kochi

Flight No: 6E 1273; From: Hyderabad; To: Muscat

Flight No: 6E 1274; From: Muscat; To: Hyderabad

Flight No: 6E 1401; From: Mumbai; To: Abu Dhabi

Flight No: 6E 1402; From: Abu Dhabi; To: Mumbai

Flight No: 6E 1448; From: Hyderabad; To: Abu Dhabi

Flight No: 6E 1449; From: Abu Dhabi; To: Hyderabad

Flight No: 6E 1421; From: Hyderabad; To: Sharjah

Flight No: 6E 1422; From: Sharjah; To: Hyderabad

Flight No: 6E 1423; From: Lucknow; To: Sharjah

Flight No: 6E 1424; From: Sharjah; To: Lucknow

Flight No: 6E 1453; From: Mumbai; To: Dubai

Flight No: 6E 1464; From: Dubai; To: Delhi

Flight No: 6E 1463; From: Delhi; To: Dubai

Flight No: 6E 1454; From: Dubai; To: Mumbai

Flight No: 6E 1455; From: Mumbai; To: Dubai

Flight No: 6E 1456; From: Dubai; To: Mumbai

Flight No: 6E 1501; From: Mumbai; To: Fujairah

Flight No: 6E 1502; From: Fujairah; To: Mumbai

Flight No: 6E 1491; From: Mumbai; To: Ras Al Khaimah

Flight No: 6E 1492; From: Ras Al Khaimah; To: Mumbai

“On 05 March 2026, due to the current situation and temporary airspace closures by the relevant authorities affecting parts of the region, Qatar Airways has started to organise and operate a limited number of relief flights to assist passengers affected by the current situation and temporary airspace closures across the region,” says Qatar Airways.

“Gulf Air flights remain temporarily suspended as closure of Bahrain airspace continues. Services will resume once BCAA confirms safe reopening,” the airline said in an update.

More than a third of IndiGo's about 1,200 international flights were cancelled in the first four days of the West Asia crisis, rattling investors and prompting analysts to question whether the disruption could prove more damaging than the domestic flight chaos the airline face. Read more

A government-chartered Air France flight to bring French nationals back from the United Arab Emirates was forced to turn back on Thursday due to missile fire in the area, French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said.

Emirates and Etihad Airways were resuming limited flight schedules to key global cities from their United Arab Emirates hubs on Friday, though the ongoing threat of missile fire piled pressure on airlines as they scramble to accommodate travellers.

With most airspace in the Middle East still closed over missile and drone concerns since the start of the US-Israel war against Iran, authorities have been arranging charter flights and securing seats on limited commercial services to evacuate tens of thousands of people.

"As of 5 March, a total of 281 flights scheduled to operate today by Indian domestic carriers have been cancelled. Passengers are advised to regularly monitor their flight status and remain attentive to updates shared through their registered contact details by their respective airlines," the civil aviation ministry said on X.

The US State Department said on Thursday it was ramping up charter flights from the Middle East after criticism over the Trump administration's planning and initial assistance to US citizens trying to leave the region since the US-Israeli war on Iran began.

Here is a list of SpiceJet flights for 8 March:

• Flight No: SG-9014; Destination: Mumbai; Departs at 1:15 and arrives at 5:25
• Flight No: SG-9006; Destination: Delhi; Departs at 11:10 and arrives at 16:40
• Flight No: SG-9087; Destination: Mumbai; Departs at 12:30 and arrives at 17:00
• Flight No: SG-9085; Destination: Delhi; Departs at 13:05 and arrives at 18:10
• Flight No: SG-9089; Destination: Mumbai; Departs at 20:30 and arrives at 1:00
• Flight No: SG-9072; Destination: Delhi; Departs at 22:15 and arrives at 3:20
• Flight No: SG-9082; Destination: Delhi; Departs at 23:05 and arrives at 4:10
• Flight No: SG-9044; Destination: Mumbai; Departs at 23:30 and arrives at 4:00

Qatar Airways has announced booking assistance for passengers with confirmed travel between February 28 and March 15, 2026, allowing complimentary date changes or a refund for the unused value of the ticket.

“With the limited re‑opening of airspace, Emirates is operating a reduced flight schedule until further notice. Customers transiting in Dubai will only be accepted for travel if their connecting flight is operating. Please do not go to the airport unless you hold a confirmed booking for these flights,” Emirates said in a statement.

Abidjan (ABJ), Auckland (AKL), Accra (ACC), Bali (DPS), Cape Town (CPT), Bangkok (BKK), Harare (HRE), Beijing (PEK), Johannesburg (JNB), Christchurch (CHC) – via Sydney, Lusaka (LUN), Guangzhou (CAN), Nairobi (NBO), Haneda Tokyo (HND), Hanoi (HAN), Amsterdam (AMS), Ho Chi Minh City (SGN), Athens (ATH), Hong Kong (HKG), Barcelona (BCN), Jakarta (CGK), Birmingham (BHX), Kuala Lumpur (KUL), Budapest (BUD), Manila (MNL), Dublin (DUB), Melbourne (MEL), Dusseldorf (DUS), Perth (PER), Edinburgh (EDI), Phuket (HKT), Frankfurt (FRA), Seoul (ICN), Hamburg (HAM), Shanghai (PVG), Istanbul (IST), Siem Reap (SAI) – via Bangkok, Lisbon (LIS), Singapore (SIN), London Gatwick (LGW), Sydney (SYD), London Heathrow (LHR), Taipei (TPE), Madrid (MAD), Ahmedabad (AMD), Manchester (MAN), Bengaluru (BLR), Milan (MXP), Chennai (MAA), Moscow (DME), Munich (MUC), Colombo (CMB), Paris (CDG), Delhi (DEL), Prague (PRG), Dhaka (DAC), Rome (FCO), Hyderabad (HYD), St. Petersburg (LED), Islamabad (ISB), Vienna (VIE), Karachi (KHI), Warsaw (WAW), Kochi (COK), Zurich (ZRH), Lahore (LHE), Chicago (ORD), Male (MLE), Dallas Fort Worth (DFW), Mauritius (MRU), Mexico City (MEX), Mumbai (BOM), New York (JFK), Thiruvananthapuram (TRV), Newark (EWR) – via Athens, San Francisco (SFO), Sao Paulo (GRU), Toronto (YYZ), Cairo (CAI), Casablanca (CMN), Jeddah (JED), Medina (MED)

“Private jet activity in the Middle East has grown over the past few days. As Oman continues to be a vital hub for evacuation flights, private flights accounted for 31% of operations at Muscat yesterday,” according to FlighRadar24.

Indian carriers cancelled 281 international flights on Thursday due to the Middle East crisis, and the government is closely monitoring the evolving situation in the region.

UAE airports operator Abu Dhabi Airports says: “We advise all travelers not to head to the airport unless they have a confirmed booking and have received a direct notification from the airline to attend. Access to the airport will be restricted to only those travelers holding confirmed bookings. The safety and comfort of all travelers and staff remain at the top of our priorities.”

“On 6th March 2026, IndiGo will operate 17 departures (34 sectors) to 8 destinations in the Middle East as mentioned below,” IndiGo said in a statement.

Oman Air said it will operate additional flights to/from:

London Heathrow (7–16 March)

Istanbul (9–16 March)

Bangkok (8–15 March)

Kuala Lumpur (8–11 March)

Cairo (8–15 March)

Mumbai (7–8 March)

British Airways had scheduled a flight from Muscat, Oman, to bring back its citizens to London Heathrow at 2:30 am local time on 8 March. “British Airways’ flight from Muscat, Oman on 8 March is now fully booked,” the airline said.

Flight operations at Hamad International Airport remain temporarily suspended due to the closure of Qatari airspace by relevant authorities, the airport said in a notification.

“Passengers are kindly requested not to proceed to the airport until further notice. Operations will resume once the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority announces the safe reopening of Qatari airspace by the relevant authorities,” it said.

Air India and Air India Express have resumed scheduled flights to/from Jeddah and Muscat as airspaces over Saudi Arabia and Oman assessed as safe for operations.

Additional special ad-hoc flights to Dubai, Muscat and Ras Al-Khaimah are operating on 6 March, to fly stranded guests back home to India.