New Delhi, March 6: Global aviation remains heavily impacted by the escalating Middle East conflict, leading to the cancellation of 142 international flights across four major Indian hubs on Friday. Operations at airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata faced significant interruptions as airlines navigated restricted airspaces over the West Asian region.
Mumbai airport recorded the highest volume of disruptions, with officials declaring that 39 departures and 34 arrivals were grounded. In the national capital, Delhi airport saw 29 cancellations, while Bengaluru and Kolkata reported 33 and 7 cancelled flights, respectively. Authorities stated that the volatility of the situation involving the US, Israel, and Iran has necessitated these operational shifts for safety.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation affirmed that it is keeping a close watch on the evolving security landscape. Officials maintained that on the previous day alone, 281 scheduled flights by domestic carriers were halted. Despite the challenges, some airlines are attempting to resume limited service. Akasa Air declared that it would proceed with its Mumbai-Jeddah route on Friday and expand operations from Ahmedabad and Kochi over the weekend.
To assist those affected, SpiceJet asserted that it would deploy 14 special flights to the UAE to repatriate stranded passengers. Industry experts stated that while partial operations have resumed, the full restoration of schedules remains dependent on the reopening of key regional air corridors.
