MUMBAI: Passengers were left stranded at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Indira Gandhi International Airport, Cochin International Airport Limited, and other airports across the country on Monday after multiple flights were cancelled amid the escalating situation in the Middle East.At IGI Airport in Delhi, several passengers were seen waiting for hours as services were disrupted due to the ongoing Israel–Iran conflict.Delhi Airport said in a post on X, “Due to the evolving political situation in the Middle East, westbound international flights continue to experience disruptions and schedule changes.”A passenger at IGI Airport says, “The Air India flight to Muscat, which was supposed to take off around 10 am, was just cancelled. I work in the travel industry. An Air India flight from Mumbai, in which a few of my clients were supposed to travel, has also been cancelled. We are not getting any updates on rescheduling. People from here go to Mecca and Medina for worship during Ramadan. Almost all flights to the Middle East are currently being cancelled.“One passenger, who identified himself as being from Gaya in Bihar, said he had been stranded at Mumbai airport for more than 24 hours. ‘I’m from Gaya, Bihar. I’ve been waiting here since 1 pm yesterday, and IndiGo told us to wait. It’s been more than 24 hours, and we’re still waiting. We have to go to Kuwait,’ he said.In Kerala, at least 16 Gulf-bound flights were cancelled at Cochin International Airport in Nedumbassery on Monday, leaving several passengers stranded. Flight operations to Gulf countries from airports in the state have been affected, with several airlines suspending or cancelling services in view of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.Indian airlines cancelled 350 international flights on Sunday as operational disruptions continued for the second consecutive day due to the escalating Middle East conflict.Amid airspace closures in parts of the Middle East and heightened security concerns, Air India and IndiGo cancelled flights operating through the affected airspaces.“In view of airspace restrictions arising from geopolitical developments in the Middle East, a total of 350 flights operated by Indian domestic carriers have been cancelled on 01.03.2026,” the Civil Aviation Ministry said in a post on X at 1634 hours on Sunday.Earlier, on February 28, the ministry had said that 410 flights operated by domestic carriers were cancelled.Airlines also shared individual cancellation details on social media. Air India said on Sunday morning that it had cancelled 22 international flights, in addition to the 28 cancellations announced on February 28 due to the Middle East crisis.According to SpiceJet, 33 flights to and from the UAE were cancelled.Meanwhile, Air India Express extended the suspension of flights to and from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates until 2359 hours IST on March 2.IndiGo also said that the temporary suspension of select international flights operating through Middle East airspace has been extended until 2359 hours IST on March 2.(With agency inputs)
