Several domestic airlines cancelled flights to the Gulf region on Sunday, March 15, due to restrictions at airports in the United Arab Emirates amid rising conflict in West Asia. Services to and from Dubai and Abu Dhabi were particularly affected.
Air India and Air India Express cancelled multiple flights to West Asia, while IndiGo suspended flights to Dubai. In a statement, the Air India group said the cancellations were due to instructions issued by airport authorities in the UAE. “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.
According to the airline group, Air India operated only one Delhi–Dubai return flight, while four of the five planned Dubai flights were cancelled. Air India Express also operated one Delhi–Dubai return service and cancelled five of its six Dubai flights. All five Air India Express flights to Abu Dhabi were cancelled.
Air India Express said it plans to operate flights to Delhi, Kannur, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram, as well as services between Ras Al Khaimah and Kozhikode and Ras Al Khaimah and Kochi. “These flights will be operated subject to slot availability and condition prevailing during the time of operation,” the airline said.
Passengers affected by the cancellations have been given the option to reschedule their travel to a future date without additional charges or receive a full refund. The airline said it is working to bring stranded passengers home at the earliest.
IndiGo also announced that it had cancelled flights to and from Dubai because of airspace restrictions linked to the escalating conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran. “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,” the airline said.
Air India and Air India Express were originally scheduled to operate a combined 72 scheduled and non-scheduled flights to and from West Asia on Sunday. These included services to destinations such as Jeddah and Muscat. Of the flights to Jeddah, the airline group said Air India would operate one return service each from Delhi and Mumbai, while Air India Express would operate one flight each from Bengaluru and Kozhikode. Air India Express was also scheduled to operate 12 flights to and from Muscat from cities including Delhi, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangaluru, Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram.
Meanwhile, airlines have begun introducing fuel surcharges following a rise in aviation turbine fuel prices linked to geopolitical developments in West Asia. Akasa Air said its surcharge would range from Rs 199 to Rs 1,300 across domestic and international routes. IndiGo earlier introduced a surcharge ranging from Rs 425 to Rs 2,300 depending on the route.
Air India and Air India Express have also implemented a fuel surcharge of Rs 399 per ticket on domestic flights, which came into effect from March 12.