Indian airlines are planning to operate 58 flights to the Gulf region on March 4 as services gradually resume. Flight operations had been disrupted due to the escalating Middle East crisis involving the United States, Israel and Iran.
The civil aviation ministry stated that airlines have made careful schedule adjustments to restore operations. According to the plan, IndiGo will operate around 30 flights to the region.
Air India and Air India Express are expected to operate 23 flights combined. These efforts are part of a gradual attempt to normalise international travel affected by the crisis.
Several foreign airlines have also started limited services. Carriers such as Emirates and Etihad Airways are operating select flights as the situation slowly stabilises.
The ministry said airlines are adding extra capacity where possible. They are also coordinating closely with foreign aviation authorities and Indian diplomatic missions to assist stranded passengers.
To maintain safety, long haul and ultra long haul flights are being rerouted through alternative corridors. These routes help avoid restricted or sensitive airspace zones affected by the conflict.
Despite the partial resumption, disruptions remain significant across the aviation sector. Since the crisis began, Indian airlines have cancelled about 1,221 flights.
Foreign airlines have also faced major disruptions. Reports indicate that around 388 international flights operated by foreign carriers have been cancelled during the same period.
In the past three days alone, more than 1,100 international flights have been called off. The sudden changes have affected thousands of travellers across multiple countries.
Air India has extended the suspension of most flights to and from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Qatar until the night of March 4. Airlines are closely monitoring the situation before restoring full schedules.
Although the operation of 58 flights marks cautious progress, the scale of cancellations highlights the fragile nature of global aviation during geopolitical tensions.
