Iran War: Nearly 2,000 flights canceled, air travel paralyzed

New Delhi: Air travel in the West Asia region, from the UAE to Israel, remains severely damaged, with airlines in the region such as Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways canceling around 1,600 flights on all global routes as of Sunday evening. Indian operators like indigo, air india According to the Ministry of Aviation, Alcazar Airlines canceled 350 flights that day.As of Monday, most airlines had announced flight cancellations. Resumption depends on when airlines deem it safe to fly into the war zone.

However, on Sunday night, Air India announced that “flights to North America and Europe will be operated using alternative routes in available airspace in West Asia, which is expected to increase flight times”. “Flights to New York (JFK) and Newark (Liberty International Airport) will have a technical stop in Rome (Fiumicino Airport),” the company added in a statement. With Pakistani airspace closed to Indian airlines, they are unable to fly westward to Pakistan-Afghanistan-CIS – a route followed by Lufthansa and other Western airlines.Air India on Sunday canceled around 125 international flights to and from the West. The Tatas-owned airline made it clear that it has extended the suspension of flights to and from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Qatar until 11:59 pm on March 2. “In addition, some flights to Europe scheduled for March 2 and the scheduled return legs of these flights (AI117: Amritsar-Birmingham; AI151/AI152: Delhi to Zurich; AI157/AI158: Delhi to Zurich) have been cancelled. Copenhagen and AI114 Birmingham-Delhi.“IndiGo also announced the “suspension of certain international flights using West Asian airspace until 11:59 pm (US Standard Time) on March 2, 2026.”For most airlines, the first priority is getting planes and crews stranded at foreign airports home. Air India completed its wide-body aircraft mission on Sunday and is considering operating Europe, UK and North America (US, Canada, with refueling in Vienna or Rome) on ocean routes via southern Oman, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Same thing on the way back.Abu Dhabi has taken a special step by asking its hotels to extend the stay of guests stranded by flight cancellations. The Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT) said in a notice that “the cost of extended stay will be borne by DCT”.Some stranded Indians are considering driving to Muscat from the UAE and flying home from there. However, an advisory issued by the Indian Embassy in Muscat on Sunday stated that “prior visit/tourist visa (e-visa) is required for entry into Oman”.Indians holding a valid visa or residence permit from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Japan or Schengen countries can apply for a visa on arrival.