A Qatar Airways plane at Dubai International Airport on March 8, 2026. | Photo credit: Reuters
Although most West Asian airspace was closed after Iran continued to target US assets in the Persian Gulf in retaliation for US and Israeli strikes on the country since 28 February, there was a significant improvement in flight operations connecting West Asian countries and parts of India, including Kerala.
A senior Air India official told The Hindu that the airline, including its budget arm Air India Express, which operated about 110 flights a day from the country to West Asia, operated about 50 flights on Monday, including two dozen regular flights to Jeddah and Muscat and the rest as special ad hoc flights to and from various places in the UAE.
Approximately 40% of the fleet is now in service. However, full-scale operations will depend on the full reopening of airspace, slot availability and regulatory approvals. Airports in Kerala also operated full-scale scheduled flights from Muscat and Saudi Arabia along with special flights to other cities subject to regulatory approvals granted by the respective governments.
As the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority confirmed the limited opening of selected corridors, Qatar Airways announced flights from Qatar to various cities, including Kochi, until March 11. Calicut International Airport handles about two dozen flights daily from West Asia, including the UAE, while the airspace of Kuwait and Bahrain remains closed. Thiruvananthapuram International Airport also handled about 15 flights to and from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Muscat and Sharjah on Monday.
According to Ajit Kolassery, CEO of NoRKA-Roots, a government agency working for the welfare of non-resident Keralites, the movement of stranded passengers has almost been completed and there is a steady demand for regular passenger travel, including emergency travel. Although the airspaces of Saudi Arabia and Oman are functional, there have been inordinate delays in obtaining transit visas for Indian nationals in other West Asian cities who need to transit through airports in Saudi Arabia and Oman. In addition, exorbitant fares charged by airlines in response to high travel demand are also causing problems for expatriates, Mr. Kolassery said.
Meanwhile, the Indian embassy in Iran has advised Indian nationals not to approach any of Iran’s land borders for travel outside the country without prior coordination with the embassy. Any movement towards land borders should only be undertaken after receiving express instructions from the Embassy. A Keralite stranded in Iran is currently coordinating with Kerala government authorities to travel to Azerbaijan by land.
Published – 9 March 2026 20:10 IST
