Air India, IndiGo and Qatar Airways were among the airlines that extended the suspension of operations in the Middle East on Monday due to conflict in the region sparked by the Iran war, while Dubai International Airport remained closed.
Tens of thousands of passengers were stranded around the world as airlines scrambled to reroute flights to avoid the Middle East. Flight-tracking website FlightAware said airlines had canceled more than 2,700 flights worldwide and more than 12,300 flights were delayed as of 1720 GMT Sunday.
Air India cancels flights
In a post on X, Air India said its operations in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Qatar remain suspended in view of the situation in the Middle East and the closure of Dubai International Airport.
“Due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East, Air India has extended the suspension of all flights to and from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Qatar until 2359 hours IST on March 2, 2026,” the airline said.
In addition, some flights to Europe scheduled for March 2, 2026 have been cancelled, as well as the scheduled return legs of those flights, Air India said. Suspended flights include —
• AI117: Amritsar to Birmingham
• AI151/AI152: Delhi to Zurich and vice versa
• AI157/AI158: Delhi to Copenhagen and vice versa
• AI114: Birmingham to Delhi
IndiGo’s operations in the Middle East have been halted
IndiGo has asked its passengers to refer to its website for a list of canceled flights as the suspension of operations has been extended till March 2.
“Due to the prevailing situation, the temporary suspension of selected international flights that use Middle East airspace has been extended until March 2, 2026, 2359 hours IST. Please see the list of canceled flights on our website. This extension is a precautionary measure to ensure that we maintain the highest standards of safety for our customers and crew,” the airline said in a post on X.
International carriers suspend operations
The conflict has also affected international carriers, particularly those operating from the Middle East.
Qatar Airways has announced that it has temporarily suspended all operations due to the closure of the country’s airspace.
“Qatar Airways will resume operations once the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority announces the safe reopening of Qatari airspace. A further update will be provided on March 2 by 09:00 Doha time (06:00 UTC),” it said in a March 1 post on X.
It advised travelers to visit its official website to check the status of their scheduled flights and whether they have been cancelled.
Emirates has also suspended all operations to and from Dubai due to multiple airspace closures.
“Due to several regional airspace closures, Emirates has temporarily suspended all operations to and from Dubai until 15:00 UAE time on Monday, March 2,” the airline said in a post on X.
It said passengers can either reschedule their flights up to 20 days after the original travel date or request a refund by canceling the trip.
Dubai airports remain closed
Dubai International Airport said in a post on X on Saturday that operations at DXB and Dubai World Central airports have been suspended until further notice.
“Flight operations at @DXB and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC) have been suspended until further notice. Guests are advised not to travel to the airport and check with their airlines for flight updates,” it said.
Iran, Iraq, Israel, Syria, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have announced at least partial closures of their skies.
