Flights havoc in Middle East as US-Israel, Iran missile exchanges rage: Multiple airlines cancel, IndiGo races to rescue

Airspace in West Asia has been affected by the ongoing conflict between US-Israel and Iran. Thousands of passengers have been left stranded across the Gulf region, with many forced to take longer and more expensive routes to access operational airports in Saudi Arabia and Oman.

Data from aviation analytics firm Cirium Ltd. shows that more than half of the 51,600 flights scheduled to or from the Middle East since February 28 have been cancelled.

IndiGo said in a travel advisory that it will operate flights to five destinations in West Asia on Saturday despite the tense situation in the region. According to the advisory, the airline will run services to Dubai International Airport, Zayed International Airport, Sharjah International Airport, RAF Akrotiri and Fujairah International Airport. The airline will also operate return flights from these West Asian cities to Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad, facilitating the return of Indian nationals.

"To support customers during this time, subject to prevailing safety conditions and applicable regulatory approvals, IndiGo will be operating flights to five destinations in the Middle East on March 7, 2026, as detailed below. Our teams remain by your side, doing everything possible to help you continue your journey, while keeping the safety and well-being of our customers and crew at the heart of every decision we make," the travel advisory stated.

IndiGo has also offered a month-long window for free cancellations and rescheduling until March 31.

Meanwhile, Emirates said it has resumed operations. It said, “Passengers who have confirmed bookings for this afternoon’s flights may proceed to the airport. This includes customers transiting in Dubai, if their connecting flight is also operating.”

Cancellations

Singapore airlines said flights to and from Dubai are cancelled until March 15. Korean Air said flights to Dubai suspended until March 8, according to Bloomberg.

Aegean Airlines, the largest airline in Greece, has suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv, Beirut, Erbil and Baghdad until early morning arrivals on March 13. Flights to and from Dubai and Abu Dhabi have been halted until evening arrivals on March 12, while services to Riyadh and Jeddah remain suspended until early morning arrivals on March 9.

airBaltic said all its flights to and from Tel Aviv have been cancelled through March 9. The airline has also cancelled all flights to and from Dubai until March 8, including the Dubai–Riga flight scheduled for March 9.

Air Canada has also suspended all flights to and from Dubai and Tel Aviv, with plans to resume operations on March 23.

Extra flights

Meanwhile, Air India said additional non-scheduled flights have been planned to operate to and from Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Muscat, Ras Al-Khaimah and Sharjah today, to fly the stranded passengers back to India.

Air India said it is also considering operating additional flights beyond March 11 in response to rising demand and the suspension of services by several Middle East carriers.

SpiceJet said it continues to run numerous special flights from Dubai(Fujairah) to India to support passenger travel.

The conflict in West Asia, which began with joint strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran on February 28, resulting in the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has now entered its eighth day. Tehran has responded by launching attacks on Israel and targeting US military bases in several West Asian countries.