India resumes limited flights amid Middle East violence

Published March 3, 2026. Partial air services between India and major Middle Eastern airports resumed on Tuesday as carriers worked to bring home passengers stranded by escalating hostilities in the region. Several flights from the Middle East landed in India late Monday: an Etihad service from Abu Dhabi arrived at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (Terminal 3) and an Emirates flight touched down in Mumbai. Other services reached Bengaluru, Chennai and Kochi. Indian carriers announced a mix of relief and limited scheduled services. IndiGo said it would operate four return flights from Jeddah on Tuesday as part of efforts to progressively normalize operations, and Air India Express said it would restart flights to and from Muscat. Airlines cautioned, however, that services to and from Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates remained suspended in many cases. Disruptions continued to affect schedules: around 80 international flights were cancelled at Delhi on Tuesday morning, and Mumbai reported 116 cancellations on Monday. Delhi airport issued advisories warning passengers to expect delays and schedule changes. The travel 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 operations. In politics, 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,’ and questioned the direction and credibility of India’s foreign policy. Prime Minister Modi expressed deep concern over developments in the Middle East and urged a peaceful, diplomatic resolution. Domestically, India is preparing for Holi celebrations on Wednesday, with markets across the country stocked with color powders and water guns as people get ready to mark the arrival of spring. Passengers are advised to stay alert for further updates from airlines and airports as the situation evolves.