The ongoing Israeli-US war with Iran has disrupted West Asia’s aviation network, leaving thousands stranded as several countries shut their airspaces amid missile and drone threats.
Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports temporarily suspended operations after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced a partial airspace closure. The country’s two major carriers, Etihad Airways and Emirates, said they would operate at limited capacity until at least March 4, including some repatriation flights. Passengers were advised not to proceed to airports unless notified by their respective airlines.
Air India said on Tuesday it is deploying widebody aircraft with higher capacity on its Dubai and Jeddah services on March 3 and 4 to assist passengers affected by the regional situation.
IndiGo also announced it would operate 10 relief flights from Jeddah.
Airspaces in Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait remain closed due to missile and drone threats from Iran.
There was limited respite in Oman, where Air India Express confirmed it would operate its scheduled Muscat flight on March 4.
“Air India Express will continue to operate its scheduled flights to and from Muscat on March 4. Alongside regular services to/from Delhi, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangaluru, Mumbai, and Tiruchirappalli, we will also be operating additional flights to Delhi, Kochi, and Mumbai,” the airline said in a statement on Tuesday.
Jordan has announced the reopening of its airspace after an initial partial closure that began on Monday.
On Tuesday evening, Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport said Israeli airspace would gradually reopen overnight Wednesday to Thursday, beginning with one passenger flight per hour in the first phase.
The United States and Israel have continued military operations against Iran since February 28. The strikes have resulted in hundreds of deaths, including Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several senior political and military leaders in Tehran.
Iran has responded with retaliatory strikes, expanding missile and drone attacks to target American assets in the region. Tehran has also launched attacks on neighbouring Arab states, prompting airspace closures, and has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime corridor through which roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade passes.
