Mass Flight Cancellations Disrupt Middle East Travel

Mar 3, 2026 Aditya Kapoor No Comment 11 Views Share on

Report for the Indian Travel Industry

Date: March 2, 2026

Incident Overview

Indian aviation operations continue to face major disruption as airspace restrictions across the Middle East enter their second consecutive day. The restrictions follow military escalations involving US–Israel strikes on Iran, leading to precautionary airspace closures across key Gulf corridors.

In the past 48 hours alone, more than 760 international flights have been cancelled, significantly impacting outbound and transit travel from India.

The disruption is affecting both short-haul Gulf routes and long-haul Europe and North America sectors that rely on Middle Eastern airspace.

Air India Suspensions

Air India has extended suspension of all flights to:

• UAE
  
• Saudi Arabia
  
• Israel
  
• Qatar
  

The suspension remains in effect until midnight, March 2.

Select European routes have also been cancelled, including:

• Delhi–Zurich
  
• Delhi–Copenhagen
  
• Amritsar–Birmingham
  

Other Europe and North America flights are operating via alternative routings, adding approximately 30–40 minutes of additional flying time.

Flights to New York and Newark are making technical stops at Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport for refuelling.

IndiGo Cancellations

IndiGo cancelled 160 flights across more than 20 destinations on March 2 alone.

Affected Gulf routes include:

• Dubai
  
• Abu Dhabi
  
• Doha
  
• Jeddah
  
• Riyadh
  
• Muscat
  
• Kuwait
  
• Bahrain
  
• Sharjah
  

Long-haul sectors to:

• London
  
• Amsterdam
  
• Manchester
  
• Istanbul
  
• Athens
  

have also been impacted due to airspace restrictions.

Akasa Air and SpiceJet Impact

Akasa Air has suspended flights to Abu Dhabi, Doha, Jeddah, Kuwait, and Riyadh until March 3.

SpiceJet cancelled approximately 19 flights between India and the UAE on Monday.

Airport-Wise Cancellations

Major Indian airports recorded the following international flight cancellations on March 2:

• Delhi: 87 cancellations (37 departures, 50 arrivals)
  
• Mumbai: 116 cancellations
  
• Bengaluru: 72 cancellations
  
• Chennai: 28 cancellations
  

Kerala airports have been among the worst affected due to high Gulf dependency. Cochin International Airport cancelled approximately 45 departures.

Passenger Relief Measures

Airlines have initiated relief measures to manage passenger disruption:

• IndiGo is offering full refunds or free rescheduling until March 7 for bookings made on or before February 28.
  
• Air India is notifying affected passengers and providing alternative travel arrangements.
  
• The UAE government is covering accommodation costs for approximately 20,200 stranded passengers.
  

Financial Market Impact

The aviation and online travel sectors have reacted sharply:

• IndiGo shares fell 7.5%
  
• SpiceJet declined over 7%
  
• Ixigo dropped 13.5%
  
• Easy Trip Planners fell 9%
  

Brokerage JM Financial estimates that if disruptions continue for two weeks, IndiGo alone could lose approximately ₹56.5 crore in profits from cancellations.

This signals clear investor concern over prolonged instability in Gulf air corridors.

Current Status

While active military actions appear to have subsided, airspace restrictions remain in place across key Middle Eastern routes. Airlines continue to reroute flights where possible.

Passengers are strongly advised to check flight status prior to departure and remain in contact with airlines or travel agents.

What This Means for the Travel B2B Fraternity

For travel agents, tour operators, and consolidators, immediate strategic action is essential.

Key Action Points:

• Pause Gulf-heavy bookings until airspace stabilizes.
  
• Process refunds and rescheduling quickly to protect long-term client trust.
  
• Promote Southeast Asian alternatives such as Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia for short-term replacement demand.
  
• Support Kerala-based agents and Gulf-dependent markets, which are facing the heaviest impact.
  
• Prepare crisis communication templates for rapid client updates.
  
• Monitor aviation stocks as early indicators of prolonged disruption risk.