As West Asian airspaces gradually reopen, Air India, IndiGo announce progressive resumption of affected flights
With airspaces of West Asian countries progressively reopening on Tuesday amid clear signs of de-escalation in the Israel-Iran conflict, Indian airlines Air India and IndiGo announced a gradual resumption of their flights to the region and beyond. Soon after the airspace closures late Monday, Air India announced suspension of 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, considering that flying there would entail overflying West Asia.
The West Asian corridors are critical for flying between India and Europe and India and parts of North America, and Air India is presently the only Indian airline that flies to Europe and North America. Other Indian airlines like IndiGo and SpiceJet had cautioned flyers that some of their flights in the region could see delays or diversions, while Air India Express suspended its flights between India and West Asia.
Following Monday evening's missile attack by Iran targeting a US military base in Qatar, various Gulf states including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Kuwait, had closed their airspaces. This had led to numerous flights headed for key hub airports like Doha, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi diverting to other airports, with a few returning to their origin airports. A number of flights were also cancelled, adding to this international disruption in flight services. Among the affected flights were those of Indian carriers like Air India, Air India Express, and IndiGo, according to flight tracking data.
'As airspaces gradually reopen in certain parts of the Middle East, Air India will progressively resume flights to the region starting today, with most operations to and from the Middle East resuming from 25 June. Flights to and from Europe, previously cancelled, are also being progressively reinstated from today, while services to and from the East Coast of the US and Canada will resume at the earliest opportunity,' an Air India spokesperson said Tuesday.
'Some flights may experience delays or cancellations due to consequential impacts and extended re-routings/flight times, but we are committed to minimising disruptions and restoring our schedule integrity. Air India will continue to avoid airspaces assessed as unsafe at any given time. We will keep passengers informed of any updates and sincerely appreciate their understanding. The safety and security of our passengers, staff, and aircraft remain our top priority,' the Air India spokesperson added.
#TravelAdvisory
'As airspaces gradually reopen in certain parts of the Middle East, Air India will progressively resume flights to the region starting today, with most operations to and from the Middle East resuming from 25 June. Flights to and from Europe, previously…
— Air India (@airindia) June 24, 2025
In a travel advisory issued on Tuesday, India's largest airline IndiGo said: 'As airports across the Middle East gradually reopen, we are prudently and progressively resuming operations on these routes. We continue to monitor the situation closely and are fully considering the safest available flight paths to ensure secure and seamless travel. Please stay updated via our mobile app or website. Thank you for your continued understanding and trust'.
Late Monday, IndiGo had said that its flight arrivals and departures from Dubai, Doha, Bahrain, Dammam, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Ras Al-Khaimah, and Tbilisi were impacted.
Iran's Monday evening missile attack, which was in retaliation to American airstrikes at its nuclear facilities at Israel's behest, first appeared to suggest that the Israel-Iran conflict was escalating further. However, Iran's tone after the missile attack was de-escalatory, signaling that it was willing to cease military operations if Israel stopped its attacks.
Within a few hours, US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. Although the two countries have not officially acknowledged that an understanding has been reached, there are clear indications that military action has been suspended, at least for the time being. Iran's foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said that there was no agreement on any ceasefire, but if Israel stopped attacking Iran, then the latter had no intention to continue with its attacks.
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