Middle East crisis: Air India cancels Delhi-London, New York, Toronto flights
The airline said it will continue to closely monitor the situation and share further updates based on risk assessments
- Mar 1, 2026,
- Updated Mar 1, 2026 8:28 AM IST
Air India on Sunday cancelled flights for several key international routes to Europe and North America as airspace restrictions across the Middle East continue following the Israel-US attack on Iran.
Also read: Iran state TV confirms Supreme Leader Khamenei dead; daughter and grandchild also killed in strikes
In a statement, the airline said the decision was based on ongoing risk assessments. "As part of our continuing assessment of the evolving situation in the Middle East, in the interest of the safety and security of our guests and staff, Air India has cancelled the following flights scheduled on 01 March 2026:"
The affected services include major long-haul routes:
•AI161/AI162 and AI111/AI112: Delhi-London (Heathrow) / London (Heathrow)-Delhi •AI129/AI128: Mumbai-London (Heathrow) / London (Heathrow)-Mumbai •AI169/AI170: Amritsar-London (Gatwick) / London (Gatwick)-Amritsar •AI101/AI102: Delhi-New York (JFK) / New York (JFK)-Delhi •AI119/AI116: Mumbai-New York (JFK) / New York (JFK)-Mumbai •AI191/AI144: Mumbai-Newark / Newark - Mumbai •AI127/AI126: Delhi-Chicago / Chicago-Delhi (via Vienna) •AI187/AI188 and AI189 and AI190: Delhi-Toronto / Toronto-Delhi (via Vienna) •AI2025/AI2026: Delhi-Frankfurt / Frankfurt-Delhi •AI2027/AI2028: Mumbai-Frankfurt / Frankfurt-Mumbai •AI143/AI142 and AI147/AI148: Delhi-Paris / Paris-Delhi
The airline said it was informing affected passengers and arranging alternatives. "We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused to our valued guests by these disruptions, whom we are notifying of the cancellations and supporting with alternative options to minimise the inconvenience."
The airline said it will continue to closely monitor the situation and share further updates based on risk assessments.
The cancellations come amid widespread aviation disruption across the region. After America and Israel launched strikes on Iran early Saturday, multiple countries — including Israel, Qatar, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain — closed their airspace.
The United Arab Emirates announced a "temporary and partial closure," and flight tracking website FlightRadar24 reported no flight activity over the UAE following the announcement.
The closures led to halted operations at major hub airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha and the cancellation of more than 1,000 flights by major Middle Eastern airlines. Hundreds of thousands of travellers were stranded or diverted as routes connecting Europe, Africa and the West to Asia were disrupted.
India's Ministry of Civil Aviation also reported significant impact on domestic carriers. "Due to airspace restrictions over Iran and parts of the Middle East, 410 flights of domestic carriers were cancelled on 28 February, and 444 flights are expected to be cancelled on 1 March."
The ministry said the DGCA is coordinating with airlines to ensure regulatory compliance. "Passengers are advised to check and confirm their flight status with the respective airlines before proceeding to the airport."
Air India on Sunday cancelled flights for several key international routes to Europe and North America as airspace restrictions across the Middle East continue following the Israel-US attack on Iran.
Also read: Iran state TV confirms Supreme Leader Khamenei dead; daughter and grandchild also killed in strikes
In a statement, the airline said the decision was based on ongoing risk assessments. "As part of our continuing assessment of the evolving situation in the Middle East, in the interest of the safety and security of our guests and staff, Air India has cancelled the following flights scheduled on 01 March 2026:"
The affected services include major long-haul routes:
•AI161/AI162 and AI111/AI112: Delhi-London (Heathrow) / London (Heathrow)-Delhi •AI129/AI128: Mumbai-London (Heathrow) / London (Heathrow)-Mumbai •AI169/AI170: Amritsar-London (Gatwick) / London (Gatwick)-Amritsar •AI101/AI102: Delhi-New York (JFK) / New York (JFK)-Delhi •AI119/AI116: Mumbai-New York (JFK) / New York (JFK)-Mumbai •AI191/AI144: Mumbai-Newark / Newark - Mumbai •AI127/AI126: Delhi-Chicago / Chicago-Delhi (via Vienna) •AI187/AI188 and AI189 and AI190: Delhi-Toronto / Toronto-Delhi (via Vienna) •AI2025/AI2026: Delhi-Frankfurt / Frankfurt-Delhi •AI2027/AI2028: Mumbai-Frankfurt / Frankfurt-Mumbai •AI143/AI142 and AI147/AI148: Delhi-Paris / Paris-Delhi
The airline said it was informing affected passengers and arranging alternatives. "We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused to our valued guests by these disruptions, whom we are notifying of the cancellations and supporting with alternative options to minimise the inconvenience."
The airline said it will continue to closely monitor the situation and share further updates based on risk assessments.
The cancellations come amid widespread aviation disruption across the region. After America and Israel launched strikes on Iran early Saturday, multiple countries — including Israel, Qatar, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain — closed their airspace.
The United Arab Emirates announced a "temporary and partial closure," and flight tracking website FlightRadar24 reported no flight activity over the UAE following the announcement.
The closures led to halted operations at major hub airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha and the cancellation of more than 1,000 flights by major Middle Eastern airlines. Hundreds of thousands of travellers were stranded or diverted as routes connecting Europe, Africa and the West to Asia were disrupted.
India's Ministry of Civil Aviation also reported significant impact on domestic carriers. "Due to airspace restrictions over Iran and parts of the Middle East, 410 flights of domestic carriers were cancelled on 28 February, and 444 flights are expected to be cancelled on 1 March."
The ministry said the DGCA is coordinating with airlines to ensure regulatory compliance. "Passengers are advised to check and confirm their flight status with the respective airlines before proceeding to the airport."