4 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jun 24, 2025 06:13 AM IST
With the conflict in West Asia intensifying, Tata group airline Air India has halted all its operations to the region as well as to and from Europe and the east coast of North America with immediate effect until further notice.
The announcement came close on the heels of Monday night’s missile attack by Iran targeting an American military base in Qatar, which led to various West Asian nations closing their airspace. This led to numerous flights headed for key hub airports such as Doha, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi diverting to other airports, with a few returning to their origin airports. Several flights were also cancelled. Among the affected flights were those of Indian airlines like Air India, Air India Express, and IndiGo, according to flight tracking data.
It was unclear for how long the airspace closures would be in place, although some analysts expressed hope that the suspensions would be short-lived, with flights resuming in the affected airspaces within a few hours. The situation, however, remains fragile amid the escalating conflict in the region.
While Air India has announced the suspension of its services to various regions west of India, considering that flying there would entail overflying West Asia, other Indian airlines issued advisories to passengers, cautioning them that their flights in the region could see delays or diversions. West Asian corridors are crucial for flights between India and Europe and India and parts of North America. Currently, Air India is the only Indian airline that flies to Europe and North America from India. Other Indian carriers mostly have short-haul international networks, largely in West Asia.
“Our India-bound flights from North America are diverting back to their respective origins and others are being diverted back to India or rerouted away from the closed airspaces. We request the understanding of all passengers who may be affected by this disruption that’s beyond an airline’s control. Air India is in continuous consultation with its external security advisors and is vigilantly monitoring the evolving situation. We will keep our passengers informed of any updates. The safety and security of our passengers and staff remain our number one priority,” an Air India spokesperson said late Monday.
“As a result of the ongoing situation in the Middle East and suspension of Qatar airspace, Air India Express has diverted our Doha-bound flight from Kochi to Muscat and returned our flight bound from Kannur. We have no other flights bound for Qatar. Air India Express has no aircraft on the ground in Qatar. We are monitoring the situation closely and will take all necessary precautions for the safety and security of our guests and crew, with inputs from the relevant authorities,” an Air India Express spokesperson said Monday night.
Following the Iranian missile attack against a US military base in Qatar, countries including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Kuwait have shut their respective airspaces, leading to significant disruption. According to Cirium, an aviation analytics company, over 20 flights destined for Doha had been diverted as of 11:40 pm India time, and at least four flights headed for Dubai were diverted. These diversions included a few flights of Air India, Air India Express, and IndiGo. Flight tracking data shows that a number of flights to and from West Asian airports were cancelled, although an estimate was not immediately available.
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“In light of the recent developments in the Middle East, flight arrivals and departures from Dubai, Doha, Bahrain, Dammam, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Ras Al-Khaimah and Tbilisi are impacted. We are actively monitoring the situation and adjusting our operations to ensure the highest level of safety for our customers and crew. We understand that diversions/delays disrupt travel plans, and we sincerely regret the inconvenience caused. Impacted customers are advised to check their flight status on our website or app and may explore alternate travel options available online,” IndiGo said in an advisory to passengers.
In its advisory, SpiceJet said, “Due to Dubai ATC congestion from regional airspace restrictions, SpiceJet flights from Dubai may experience delays. Passengers are advised to check updated timings.”
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