Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi routes remain suspended, Delhi airport sees 87 flight cancellations; What flyers need to know

Widespread airspace closures across parts of the Middle East disrupted global flight operations for the third consecutive day on Monday, forcing major international and Indian airlines to cancel or reroute hundreds of services.

A wide corridor of airspace over the region remained shut as countries neighbouring Iran, including the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Israel, Bahrain and Iraq, restricted flights in and out of their territories.

Flight tracking website Flightradar24 showed largely empty skies over these countries on Monday morning.

The Middle East hosts several major global carriers, including Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways, whose operations have been hugely affected.

Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways said its flight operations remain temporarily suspended due to the closure of Qatari airspace.

The airline said it will resume operations once the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority announces the safe reopening of airspace.

A further update is expected by 0900 hours Doha time (11 am IST) on March 3.

Passengers have been advised to monitor the airline’s website and mobile application for updates.

Emirates, Etihad halt services

Dubai-based Emirates has temporarily suspended all operations to and from Dubai until 3pm UAE time on Monday, March 2, citing multiple regional airspace closures.

Passengers booked to travel before or on March 5 have been offered options to rebook on alternate flights within 20 days of their original travel date or request a refund.

The airline has urged customers to check flight status before heading to the airport and ensure their contact details are updated.

Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways has suspended all flights to and from Abu Dhabi until 2 pm UAE time on Tuesday, March 3.

Etihad said guests holding tickets issued on or before February 28 for travel up to March 7 can rebook free of charge for travel up to March 18 or seek full refunds.

The airline said it is experiencing a high volume of calls and advised customers to use online refund forms.

Both carriers stressed that safety remains their highest priority and operations will resume only once all safety criteria are met.

Air India extends suspension

Air India has extended the suspension of all flights to and from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Qatar until 11.59 IST on March 2.

The airline has also cancelled select Europe-bound flights scheduled for March 2.

The cancelled flights include AI117 (Amritsar–Birmingham), AI151/152 (Delhi–Zurich), AI157/158 (Delhi–Copenhagen), and AI114 (Birmingham–Delhi).

The airline said all other flights to North America and Europe will operate using alternative routings over available Middle Eastern airspaces, resulting in longer flying times.

Flights to New York’s JFK and Newark Liberty International airports will operate with technical halts at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport.

“Air India continues to closely monitor the situation and has carefully assessed the evolving circumstances across multiple parameters, including safety, security, airspace availability, and operational feasibility, before deciding on these operations for 2 March 2026,” the statement said.

Air India has offered full flexibility for bookings made on or before February 28 for travel up to March 5, allowing passengers to reschedule without additional charges or request full refunds.

Budget carrier IndiGo said it is extending full flexibility and waivers for travel to and from the Middle East, along with other impacted international sectors, until March 7, for bookings made on or before February 28.

Delhi Airport hit by cancellations

At the national capital’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, as many as 87 international flights were cancelled on Monday amid the ongoing disruptions.

An official said 37 departures and 50 arrivals were called off.

Indian carriers have cancelled 760 overseas flights in the last two days due to escalating tensions in the Middle East and the closure of several regional airspaces.

The airport, operated by Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), handles over 1,300 flight movements daily, making it the country’s busiest aviation hub.

In a passenger advisory, DIAL said some westbound international flights were facing delays or schedule changes due to “ongoing political developments in the Middle East.”

Passengers were advised to check with their respective airlines before travelling to the airport and consider alternate routes or connections if suggested.

The operator added that all other flight operations were running as per schedule.