New Delhi, March 01: The global aviation industry is facing mounting operational pressure after escalating military tensions involving the US, Israel and Iran led to widespread airspace closures across West Asia, disrupting international flight networks.
Industry estimates indicate that more than 700 flights have been cancelled globally as of Sunday, with hundreds more rerouted to avoid restricted air corridors. What began as precautionary restrictions has evolved into a broader operational challenge, particularly across one of the world’s most critical transit regions linking Asia, Europe and North America.
Airspace over Iran and Israel remains heavily restricted, while key Gulf aviation hubs including Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha have imposed navigation controls, triggering cascading delays across airline networks.
Indian carriers are among the most impacted due to their reliance on Gulf transit routes. IndiGo cancelled over 350 flights across three days — 166 on March 1, 162 on March 2 and 43 on March 3 — representing roughly 7–8% of its typical daily operations of 2,100–2,200 flights.
Other carriers such as Air India and Air India Express have also suspended or rerouted multiple services to the Gulf and West Asia in line with safety advisories.
