Kamal Ghorui
Air India cancelled several flights scheduled for Sunday, to the United Arab Emirates, especially Dubai, as the evolving West Asia crisis has led to operational restrictions and schedule changes across the region.In a statement posted on X, Air India said UAE airport authorities had instructed airlines to reduce operations. “In view of the latest instructions from Airport authorities in the UAE, Air India and Air India Express are compelled to curtail their ad‑hoc operations for 15 March 2026,” the airline said.
The airline will operate only one Delhi–Dubai return flight for the day, while four of the five planned Dubai flights have been cancelled. Air India Express will also operate a single Delhi–Dubai return flight, with five out of six scheduled Dubai flights cancelled.
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In Abu Dhabi, all five Air India Express flights have been cancelled for the day. However, the airline said it planned to continue flights from Sharjah to Delhi, Kannur, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram.Air India Express also said it will operate Ras Al Khaimah–Kozhikode and Ras Al Khaimah–Kochi services, subject to slot availability and prevailing operational conditions.Passengers affected by cancellations have been offered the option to rebook to a future date without additional charges or opt for a full refund.
IndiGo reschedules
Meanwhile, IndiGo also informed passengers that flight operations in Dubai have been further restricted.In a post on X, the airline said, “Due to the evolving situation in the Middle East, flight operations have been further restricted in Dubai, leading to changes in flight schedules. Customers travelling to/from Dubai are requested to check their flight status before leaving for the airport. We are also sending out notifications to keep customers informed of the latest updates.”The developments come amid wider disruptions in the aviation sector caused by the evolving West Asia crisis, which has also pushed up aviation turbine fuel prices.Several airlines, including IndiGo, Air India and Akasa Air, have recently introduced fuel surcharges on domestic and international routes to offset rising operational costs linked to the surge in fuel prices.
