At least 100 international flights were canceled at Delhi airport on Sunday as airlines grappled with major operational problems triggered by US and Israeli airstrikes in Iran.
According to PTI, the disruption involved 60 international departures and 40 arrivals.
“Due to the evolving political situation in the Middle East, international flights to the West may experience disruptions or changes in flight schedules,” Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) said in a post on X.
The Civil Aviation Ministry had earlier said that domestic carriers are likely to cancel 444 international flights on Sunday.
Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), managed by DIAL, is India’s largest air hub, handling more than 1,300 flights daily.
The cancellation comes at a time of heightened hostilities in West Asia following coordinated military strikes by the United States and Israel on Iranian targets. The escalation prompted warnings of retaliation and led to the closure of airspace over Iran, Israel and Iraq.
The instability has roiled global aviation, forcing airlines to suspend services to several destinations in the Persian Gulf as a precaution. Passengers were stranded at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru on Saturday after several Middle East-bound flights were canceled due to rising tensions between Iran and Israel.
Several flights have been canceled at Amritsar airport
Flight operations were also suspended at Amritsar airport on Sunday as the conflict escalated across parts of the Gulf region.
Amritsar Airport Director Bhupinder Singh told ANI that five flights were affected. A SpiceJet flight to Dubai was called off mid-air after refuelling, while an IndiGo flight from Amritsar was diverted to Surat.
“Five flights were canceled yesterday. Two were canceled on the ground. Two more took off — one SpiceJet flight to Dubai was called back to Amritsar after refueling around 7pm. The other, IndiGo 6E 147 from Amritsar, was diverted to Surat. An Air Express flight on the ground was canceled. An Air Express flight from Amritsar was canceled as an Air India flight from Sharjah was called back to Birmingham,” Singh said.
These widespread disruptions are a direct result of the extensive airspace restrictions across West Asia that continue to affect global transit corridors.
Thousands of passengers have been stranded as a result of the closure of Middle Eastern airports
Following the attacks on Iran by US and Israeli forces, flight operations throughout the Middle East and beyond faced severe disruptions as regional states closed their airspace. Major air hubs connecting Europe, Africa and the West with Asia were also directly affected by military activity.
Emirates Airlines suspended all flights to and from Dubai until Sunday afternoon, while Qatar Airways confirmed that Qatar’s airport remained closed until Monday morning. Meanwhile, Israeli carrier El Al announced it was organizing a recovery plan to repatriate citizens stranded overseas once the skies reopen.
On Saturday, many passengers were either stranded or diverted as Israel, Qatar, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain imposed airspace closures. Additionally, FlightRadar24 reported a complete lack of flight activity over the UAE after the government declared a “temporary and partial closure” of its territory.
