Middle East crisis: IndiGo, Spicejet, Air India operate flights to repatriate stranded Indians. Details here

Flight operations across West Asia remain heavily disrupted due to the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran, forcing airlines to cancel hundreds of flights and suspend key routes since February 28. Around 180 flights from three metro airports, Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru, have been cancelled so far owing to airspace restrictions amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Indian airlines, including IndiGo and Air India, have started restoring some services in the region, though operations remain far from normal. Domestic carriers, including IndiGo, Air India, SpiceJet, Air India Express and Akasa Air, have resumed select flights to destinations such as Dubai, Jeddah, Ras al Khaimah, and Fujairah.

However, many flights continue to be grounded as airspace restrictions are still in place in several Middle Eastern countries due to the escalating conflict. 

List of airlines running flights to and from the Middle East 

• IndiGo: IndiGo said it is closely monitoring the evolving situation and will operate 17 departures (34 sectors) to eight Middle East destinations on 6 March 2026. The airline said its teams will contact passengers directly regarding affected flights and urged travellers not to proceed to airports unless notified. IndiGo has extended free waivers on cancellations up to March 31.
• Air India Express: Air India Express said it will continue operating scheduled flights to and from Muscat on 6 March 2026, while also running additional services from Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah to multiple cities across India to support affected travellers. The airline will be operating their scheduled flight on March 6, connecting Delhi, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangaluru, Mumbai, and Tiruchirappalli.
• Air India: Air India confirmed that services to Jeddah and Muscat have resumed, following assessments that airspace over Saudi Arabia and Oman remains open and safe for operations. The airline is also operating additional special flights to assist stranded travellers. 
• SpiceJet: SpiceJet has announced that it will operate 14 special flights to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) today to help repatriate stranded Indians. 
• Etihad: Etihad Airways to resume its operations to and from Abu Dhabi to 8 Indian destinations. Operation between March 6 and 19th March from these Indian destinations: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mumbai, Kolkata. 
• Emirates partial resumption: Emirates said it is operating a reduced schedule until further notice due to limited reopening of regional airspace. The airline stated that flights are open for booking, with priority given to customers holding earlier reservations. It also cautioned transit passengers in Dubai to travel only if their connecting flights are confirmed.
• Qatar Airways: Qatar Airways said it has begun operating a limited number of relief flights to assist passengers affected by temporary airspace closures. The airline is coordinating additional flights where feasible and has urged passengers not to travel to the airport unless officially notified.

Meanwhile, Dubai Airport urged travellers not to arrive at the airport unless the concerned airline has confirmed their departure time.

While a few carriers have begun limited operations, major aviation hubs such as Dubai, Doha, Kuwait and Bahrain are still facing widespread cancellations and operational restrictions.

Emirates, Air Arabia and Oman Air, however, have scheduled their flights to Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. Air Arabia has scheduled one more flight to Sharjah from the Thiruvananthapuram airport this evening, according to media reports.