Indian airlines cancel 278 international flight

Domestic airlines are scheduled to operate 96 flights to and from the Middle East on Friday, while the carriers have cancelled 278 international services for the day, the government said amid the conflict in the region.

The civil aviation ministry on Friday said due to the ongoing developments in West Asia and the resulting airspace restrictions, flight operations have been impacted across several sectors. “A total of 96 flight operations were scheduled today by Indian domestic carriers to and from destinations in the Middle East.

As of 6 March, 278 flights scheduled to be operated today by Indian domestic carriers have been cancelled,” it said in a statement. Earlier in the day, officials said more than 140 international flights were cancelled in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, and Kolkata airports on Friday due to the Middle East crisis. They said at least 142 flights were cancelled at the four airports, with 39 departures and 34 arrivals cancelled at the Mumbai airport.

Akasa Air said it would operate the Mumbai-Jeddah-Mumbai flight on Friday. The airline, on Saturday, would operate flights from Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Kochi to Jeddah, it said in a post on X. SpiceJet said it will operate 14 special flights from the UAE to bring back stranded passengers. With the airspaces over Saudi Arabia and Oman remaining open and assessed as safe for operations, Air India and Air India Express have resumed services to and from Jeddah and Muscat, Air India said in a statement on Thursday.

The Passenger Assistance Control Room (PACR) at the ministry is coordinating with airlines and other stakeholders to address issues. “So far, 1,881 passenger grievances have been addressed through AirSewa, social media platforms and helpline calls,” the ministry said in the statement.