Flight operations to and from West Asia were severely disrupted on Monday, with around 100 flights cancelled in Delhi, 30 in Chennai, 50 in Bengaluru, 45 in Kochi, and 20 in Thiruvananthapuram, reported The Times of India.
The disruptions followed Iran’s retaliatory strikes after a joint Israel-United States military operation targeting Tehran. On Sunday, Indian airlines had already cancelled approximately 350 flights.
This comes on top of a complete suspension of flights by all Indian carriers to 11 countries in West Asia.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued an urgent safety advisory instructing airlines to avoid Iranian, Iraqi, Israeli, Jordanian, Lebanese, Kuwaiti, Saudi, Emirati, Bahraini, Qatari, and Omani airspace.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation stated that the DGCA is coordinating closely with airlines to ensure compliance with safety and operational regulations. Passengers have been advised to check their flight status with airlines before heading to airports.
Several international carriers have also suspended operations or rerouted flights to bypass West Asian airspace. The closures have affected global flight operations, particularly at major transit hubs such as Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi, leaving thousands of passengers stranded across West Asia and parts of Europe, reported The Indian Express.
Indian carriers had already been avoiding Iranian airspace in recent weeks, but the wider West Asian corridor is critical not only for regional operations but also for overflights to Europe and North America.
The Ministry of External Affairs on Sunday advised foreign nationals in India whose travel plans have been disrupted due to the West Asia situation, and who require visa extensions or need to regularise their stay, to contact their Foreigners Regional Registration Office.
The escalation began on Saturday, when Israel and the United States launched a joint operation targeting Iran, aimed at degrading Tehran’s military capabilities. Iran retaliated, claiming that the operation coincided with ongoing nuclear negotiations.
Tensions between the three nations have been driven by Iran’s nuclear programme, with Washington acting as Israel’s security guarantor. Israel has repeatedly warned that Iran is “closer than ever” to acquiring a nuclear weapon, which could alter the regional security balance. Iran maintains that its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes.
Amid fears of a potential strike and heavy US military deployments off its coast, Tehran had been compelled to reopen nuclear negotiations with Washington.
On Sunday, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the joint US-Israeli operation, according to Iranian state media. His death further escalated an already volatile situation in the region.
On Monday, Lebanese militant group Hezbollah launched rockets and drones at Israel in response to Khamenei’s killing, prompting Israeli retaliatory strikes across Lebanon.