Published March 3, 2026
Partial flight operations between India and key Middle Eastern airports resumed on Tuesday as airlines sought to bring home passengers stranded by escalating fighting in the region.
Some flights from the Middle East reached Indian airports on Monday night. An Etihad flight from Abu Dhabi landed at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (Terminal 3) and an Emirates flight arrived at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. Other services touched down in Bengaluru, Chennai and Kochi.
Indian carriers announced relief and limited scheduled services. IndiGo said it would operate four return flights from Jeddah on Tuesday to “progressively normalize” operations. Air India Express said it would resume flights to and from Muscat, Oman. Airlines also warned that operations to and from Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates remained suspended in many cases.
Air travel disruption continued to affect schedules: some 80 international flights were cancelled at Delhi airport on Tuesday morning, and Mumbai reported 116 cancellations on Monday. Delhi airport issued advisories warning passengers of delays and schedule adjustments.
The disruptions come as the US, Israel and Iran continued to exchange strikes and as Israel and Hezbollah traded fire in Lebanon, raising safety concerns across regional airspace. Millions of South Asian workers and residents in the Middle East have been affected, prompting airlines and governments to prioritize repatriation and relief services.
In other developments, opposition Congress parliamentary chairperson Sonia Gandhi criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government for not issuing a clear response to the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In an opinion piece, Gandhi called the government’s silence “not neutral” and an “abdication,” questioning the direction and credibility of India’s foreign policy. Modi expressed “deep concern” over Middle East developments and urged a peaceful, diplomatic resolution.
Domestically, India is preparing for Holi celebrations on Wednesday. Markets nationwide are full of color powders and water guns as people get ready for the festival that marks the arrival of spring and is widely celebrated across the subcontinent.
Stay alert for further advisories from airlines and airports as the situation evolves.