Written by Intern Rency Gomes ||Team Allycaral
More than 3,000 flights have been cancelled since the US–Israel attack on Iran triggered widespread airspace closures and restrictions across the Middle East, causing major aviation disruptions.
On Saturday alone, over 1,800 flights operating in and out of the region were cancelled, with an additional 1,400 cancellations recorded on Sunday as tensions continued to escalate.
In India, leading carriers including Air India, IndiGo and SpiceJet have collectively pulled more than 630 routes due to the closure of Gulf airspace. IndiGo announced the cancellation of 160 flights scheduled for March 2 following restrictions in Middle Eastern airspace.
The ripple effects have extended beyond the immediate conflict zone. Air India cancelled multiple India–Europe and India–US flights on Sunday due to disruptions in transit airspace corridors.
In total, eight countries — Iran, Israel, Iraq, Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan — have closed their airspace amid ongoing air strikes and security concerns.
Major aviation hubs in the Middle East have faced severe disruption, including Dubai, the world’s busiest international airport for international travel.
With continued instability in the region, global aviation networks remain on high alert, and further cancellations and rerouting are expected in the coming days.
