After airspace closure, airlines begin limited repatriation flights
Telegraph | 3 March 2026
Emirates, Etihad Airways and flydubai announced on Monday that they would resume a limited number of flights from their West Asian hubs of Dubai and Abu Dhabi to repatriate stranded travellers.
Two Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi landed in Delhi and Mumbai on Monday night. The Abu Dhabi-Delhi flight took off at 3.55pm IST, carrying 310 passengers, and landed in the national capital at 8.39pm.
A PTI video showed relieved arriving passengers thanking the authorities for bringing them back safely. Their relatives were seen welcoming them, exchanging emotional hugs.
One passenger told PTI: “We could see missiles being intercepted constantly. There was not a very visible impact in Abu Dhabi.” Another said she, too, saw missiles. “The government there was cooperative,” she added.
Other airlines are also resuming limited services. Air India has resumed all flights to Europe, the UK, the US and Canada through alternative routes from Monday, although West Asia operations are yet to restart. Air India Express will resume flights from Muscat, Oman, from Tuesday. Reports indicated that IndiGo would start limited operations from Jeddah.
Air travel was disrupted after Israeli and US attacks on Iran and Tehran’s response, forcing the closure of airspace across parts of West Asia since Saturday. Airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Sharjah were shut down as a result.
Passenger safety
Stranded passengers in the region are reportedly being transported from hotels to airports in “closed buses” as a security precaution. Tens of thousands of travellers worldwide, particularly in West Asia, remain stranded.
In Delhi, the Union government said: “Special arrangements are being made to facilitate the movement of stranded passengers. Airlines are deploying additional capacity where required and coordinating... with foreign aviation authorities and Indian missions abroad to ensure safe and orderly passenger movement.”
Airfares have surged on almost every route because of the crisis.
Emirates announced that it would operate a limited number of flights beginning Monday evening (March 2). Customers with prior bookings are being accommodated first, it said. The airline urged passengers not to go to the airport unless notified, stating: “All other flights remain suspended until further notice.”
The airline advised travellers to continuously check their flight status, review updates on emirates.com, and monitor emails for changes or cancellations.
Earlier in the day, Emirates and Etihad had said operations would be closed because UAE airspace was off limits until 2pm on Tuesday local time (3.30pm IST).
Air India Express will resume operations to and from Muscat starting Tuesday (March 3), with scheduled services to Delhi, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangaluru, Mumbai and Tiruchirappalli. “The first flight from Muscat will operate to Tiruchirappalli, departing at 10.25 hours local time,” the airline stated.
Air India officials said they were operating all flights from India to Europe, the UK, the US and Canada via alternative routes. Reuters reported that IndiGo has planned 10 special flights from Jeddah to India on Tuesday.
Civil aviation ministry sources said Emirates informed the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) about the limited resumption of flights to India. “The initial plan is to operate some flights to Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru,” a source said.
Calcutta status
Calcutta airport authorities have not yet received information on flights to the city. Sources said Emirates alone has nearly 2,500 passengers stranded in Calcutta and Dubai due to cancellations since Saturday.
The DGCA met with West Asian airline representatives in Calcutta to assess cancelled flights and stranded passengers.
Between Monday and Tuesday morning, all flights between Calcutta and West Asia were cancelled. Electronic display boards at both arrival and departure levels showed “cancelled” for Etihad services. The 8pm flight from Abu Dhabi and the 8.55pm flight to Abu Dhabi were cancelled.
Plight of stranded
Sanjib Mondal, 29, a resident of Murshidabad and a pastry chef in Riyadh for the past three years, was scheduled to travel to Riyadh via Abu Dhabi on Monday. He learned about the cancellation only after reaching the airport. “I had a connecting flight from Abu Dhabi to Riyadh on Tuesday morning, but both flights were cancelled as the airspace is closed,” he said.
Mondal, who returned home on a month-long vacation, said his re-entry visa expires on March 8. “If my visa expires, it will be difficult for me to return. I spent ₹1,200 to reach the airport. Amidst the war situation, my parents, who are in their 60s, are worried for me,” he said.
Mohammad Imran, 36, from Bihar, was waiting near Gate 5B to travel to Abu Dhabi to celebrate Eid with friends. “When I checked the last update on my phone, it showed cancelled, but my travel agent asked me to visit the airport for confirmation. The display board confirmed it,” he said.