Indian Airlines Suspend 279 Flights on Sunday, Govt Monitoring Fares

As tensions escalate in the Middle East involving the United States, Israel and Iran , Indian airlines cancelled 279 international flights on Sunday , significantly disrupting travel between India and the Gulf region.

The Civil Aviation Ministry said it is closely monitoring the evolving situation and is in constant coordination with airlines and other stakeholders to manage the disruptions. Authorities are also keeping a watch on airfares to ensure that ticket prices remain reasonable and that there is no undue surge during the crisis.

According to the ministry, flight operations have been affected due to airspace closures and restrictions in parts of the Middle East following the escalating conflict. In a post on X, the ministry said that 279 flights scheduled to be operated by Indian domestic carriers on March 8 were cancelled because of the prevailing situation.

Despite the disruptions, 49 flight operations from West Asia to India had been scheduled on Sunday, subject to operational feasibility. These flights were planned from several cities in the region, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Muscat and Jeddah .

Passenger movement data showed that on March 7 , a total of 51 inbound flights operated by Indian carriers arrived in India from the region, carrying 8,175 passengers .

The disruptions were also visible at major airports. An official said 66 flights were cancelled at Mumbai airport on Sunday, including 34 departures and 32 arrivals . Meanwhile, the operator of the Delhi airport, DIAL , said some west-bound international flights may face delays or schedule changes due to the ongoing geopolitical developments.

Airlines are also planning special arrangements to assist passengers affected by the cancellations. On Monday, Air India and Air India Express are scheduled to operate 10 flights to and from Jeddah, while Air India Express will run 14 flights to and from Muscat.

In addition, the airlines will operate 32 ad-hoc non-scheduled flights to the UAE to help bring stranded travellers back to India, subject to the availability of airport slots and prevailing operational conditions.

To further ease the situation, Air India will operate 78 additional flights on nine international routes between March 10 and March 18 , offering more travel options for passengers affected by the disruptions.