Air travel across India and several global regions has been severely disrupted following the sharp escalation of the Middle East crisis, triggered after reports of the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. As tensions intensified across West Asia, Indian and international airlines moved swiftly to cancel and reroute flights as a precautionary safety measure.

In India alone, around 400 flights have been cancelled over the past two days. Indian carriers including Air India, IndiGo, Air India Express, and Akasa Air have suspended multiple international services, particularly those operating through West Asian airspace.

The disruption is not limited to India. Across West Asia, aviation operations have taken a major hit, with global carriers such as Emirates, Etihad Airways, and Qatar Airways cancelling nearly 1,600 flights. Indian airlines including IndiGo, Air India, and Akasa together cancelled about 350 flights. Most carriers have announced cancellations extending till Monday, as flight resumptions depend on evolving security assessments in the conflict zone.

Late Sunday, Air India confirmed that flights to North America and Europe will operate using alternative routes over available airspaces in West Asia, which is expected to increase flying times. The airline said that flights to New York (JFK) and Newark (Liberty International) will operate with technical stops at Rome Fiumicino Airport. With Pakistan airspace closed to Indian carriers, airlines are unable to use the Pakistan–Afghanistan–CIS corridor, a route still accessible to several Western airlines.

On Sunday alone, Air India cancelled around 125 international flights to and from western destinations. The Tata Group-owned carrier also extended the suspension of flights to and from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Qatar until 11:59 PM on March 2. Additionally, select Europe-bound services scheduled for March 2 were cancelled, including AI117 (Amritsar–Birmingham), AI151/AI152 (Delhi–Zurich), AI157/AI158 (Delhi–Copenhagen), and AI114 (Birmingham–Delhi).

IndiGo announced the suspension of select international flights using West Asia airspace until March 2, 2026, 11:59 PM IST. For most airlines, the immediate priority remains repositioning aircraft and crew stranded at foreign airports. Air India has already completed this process for its wide-body fleet and is now exploring operations to Europe, the UK, and North America via oceanic routes through southern Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, with fuelling stops in Vienna or Rome.

In a rare move, Abu Dhabi authorities directed hotels to extend stays for guests stranded due to flight cancellations. The Department of Culture and Tourism confirmed that the cost of extended accommodation will be covered by the government, easing pressure on affected travellers.

The crisis has also rattled global financial markets. Airline stocks plunged worldwide as rising conflict led to mass cancellations and stranded passengers. Major Asian carriers including Cathay Pacific, Qantas Airways, Singapore Airlines, and Japan Airlines saw shares fall by more than 5 per cent on Monday after weekend strikes by the US and Israel on Iran.

Global air travel remained in turmoil for a third consecutive day as key hubs including Dubai and Doha shut down operations, stranding tens of thousands of passengers worldwide. Meanwhile, oil prices surged by nearly 7 per cent to their highest levels in months, driven by damage to tankers and disruptions to shipments from the key producing region.

As airlines continue to assess safety conditions, industry experts expect prolonged disruptions, longer flight times, and further schedule adjustments in the days ahead.