India-based airlines have commenced special operations to repatriate stranded Indian nationals from West Asia following recent airspace disruptions.
Domestic carriers are operating dedicated services from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Oman.
Air India said it welcomed back 149 passengers from Dubai on flight AI916D, which landed in Delhi at 10:58 hrs Indian Standard Time.
The aircraft, VT-EDC, operated as part of what the airline described as the first flight by an Indian carrier facilitating the return of passengers amid the ongoing situation in West Asia.
Earlier in the day, 143 cockpit and cabin crew members of Air India and Air India Express who were stranded in Dubai arrived in Delhi on flight AI918D.
The airline stated that its Operations Control Centre and supporting teams had been working around the clock to coordinate the services.
Besides, SpiceJet operated four special flights on March 3 from Fujairah to Delhi, Mumbai and Kochi, including two services to Mumbai, to facilitate the return of Indian nationals following the sudden closure of airspace.
The airline announced that it will restore its scheduled flights between Fujairah and Delhi and between Fujairah and Mumbai starting March 4.
According to Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet, the airline’s priority was to support Indian citizens facing uncertainty and he added that the carrier stands ready to operate more such services subject to passenger requirements and regulatory approvals.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Civil Aviation on March 2 said that IndiGo will operate 10 special relief flights from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to India on March 3.
Apart from this, Air India Express has resumed services to Muscat, operating six flights from various Indian cities including Delhi, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangaluru, Mumbai and Tiruchirappalli.
However, Air India Express stated that its operations to Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates remain suspended until 11:59 p.m. Indian Standard Time on March 3.
As per official information, Indian airlines cancelled 357 flights to the West Asia region on March 2, following 350 cancellations on March 1. Foreign carriers operating between India and West Asia were also expected to conduct limited services.
Separately, Air India has extended the suspension of its West Asia services until midnight on March 3, citing the continuing regional situation.
However, drawing on contingency routing plans developed during last year’s airspace disruptions, the airline has activated alternative corridors to sustain connectivity to the United Kingdom, Europe, Canada and the United States.
Speaking to businessline, industry insiders, said that Europe-, United States- and Canada-bound services are being routed through airspace over the Red Sea, Egypt and the Mediterranean to bypass constrained zones, adding approximately 30–45 minutes to European flight durations.
In addition, for services to the United States and Canada, the airline has incorporated technical halts at Rome and Vienna for refuelling before onward transatlantic operations, an approach refined during previous airspace curbs.
A senior airline official said the network planning team had “war-gamed multiple conflict scenarios” to identify viable alternatives in the event of restricted Gulf airspace, enabling the carrier to preserve key westbound long-haul operations.
Published on March 3, 2026