Air India cancels 2,500 West Asia flights, operating at 30% capacity amid airspace closures

Air India and Air India Express are operating at 30% normal capacity to Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Oman as of March 15, 2026, with 2,500 flights canceled over three weeks due to West Asia airspace closures and airport shutdowns. The carriers ran 58 flights on March 12 and scaled to 72 flights by March 15, prioritizing Jeddah, Muscat, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi while suspending service to Doha, Kuwait, and Bahrain.

Routes from Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru face volatile schedules with rerouting adding 1–2 hours to flight times and doubled jet fuel costs passed to passengers. India’s pilot association flagged serious risk on March 18, urging DGCA to suspend high-risk flights after the regulator issued airline-led risk assessment guidance.

West Asia conflict escalation has forced India’s flag carriers into a three-week operational scramble that leaves travelers with bookings to the Gulf facing reduced capacity, frequent cancellations, and surging fares. Air India CEO confirmed the airline is now running at 30% of normal West Asia operations after canceling roughly 2,500 flights since early March 2026, with jet fuel prices doubling and rerouting through alternate paths adding significant flight time.

The immediate impact: travelers departing from North America, Europe, and India to Jeddah, Dubai, Muscat, and Abu Dhabi must check flight status daily and prepare for last-minute changes.

Air India operated 58 flights on March 12, including 10 to Jeddah, 8 to Muscat, and 40 relief flights to UAE airports. By March 15, the group scaled to 72 flights, with 8 to Jeddah from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Kozhikode, plus 12 to Muscat from six Indian cities. Routes to Doha, Kuwait, and Bahrain remain suspended with no restart date announced.

How airspace closures are reshaping Gulf operations

Closed airports and restricted airspace across the region have forced Air India to reroute flights through longer paths, adding 1–2 hours to typical journey times. A Delhi–Jeddah flight that normally crosses directly over the Gulf now arcs north or south, burning significantly more fuel. The airline confirmed jet fuel costs have doubled, with surcharges appearing on new bookings and rebookings.

For connecting passengers, the disruption compounds. A traveler flying New York JFK to Jeddah via Delhi now faces extended layovers as the Delhi–Jeddah leg operates on a compressed, unpredictable schedule. Air India added 78 extra flights to European destinations like London, Frankfurt, and Paris between March 10–18 to absorb demand from travelers rerouting away from Gulf hubs, but fares on these routes have climbed due to fuel costs.

India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation issued guidance on March 19 directing airlines to conduct their own risk assessments for flights into conflict zones. One day earlier, the Airline Pilots’ Association of India urged DGCA to suspend high-risk flights entirely, citing the 2020 downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 as precedent for the danger of operating near active conflict. The regulatory tension reflects broader uncertainty about how long carriers can sustain operations at current risk levels. For context on how airspace closures reshape Asia flight routing, similar dynamics played out after Russia closed its airspace to European carriers in 2022.

Why this matters for your booking

West Asia airspace closures and airport shutdowns since early March 2026 forced Air India to cancel 2,500 flights and operate at 30% capacity to Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Oman. Essential routes like Delhi–Jeddah, Mumbai–Dubai, and Chennai–Muscat now run via longer paths or ad-hoc relief flights, adding 1–2 hours to flight time and doubling jet fuel costs passed via surcharges.

Rerouting impacts connecting flights from North America and Europe — a JFK–Delhi–Jeddah itinerary becomes JFK–London–Delhi–Jeddah, causing delays and weakening demand as fares rise. For travelers with existing bookings, this means frequent changes with no-fee rebooking and refunds offered. Planners face volatile schedules but pockets of added Europe and North America capacity.

The end-state: Gulf links remain intact for essentials, but build 24+ hour buffers into your itinerary and monitor daily bulletins as operations scale between 58–72 flights amid DGCA oversight pressure.

What to do now

Gulf hub connections are high-risk through mid-March — here is the priority order for protecting your trip.

• Check flight status daily: Use airindia.com/flight-status or the Air India Express app. Cancellations are announced 12–24 hours before departure.
• Rebook or refund immediately: Air India offers no-fee changes and full refunds for affected flights. Contact WhatsApp “Tia” for UAE bookings or call 0124-264-1407 (India) / 1-888-634-1407 (US). Response time is 24–48 hours.
• Avoid suspended routes: Do not book Doha, Kuwait, or Bahrain until service resumes. Jeddah and Muscat have the most stable schedules.
• Build 24+ hour buffers: If connecting through Delhi or Mumbai to the Gulf, allow at least one full day between flights. Relief flights are added ad-hoc but not guaranteed.
• Register for alerts: Add your mobile number on airindia.com to receive SMS updates on schedule changes.

Watch: DGCA’s next directive on airline-led risk assessments will signal whether operations scale further or face regulatory suspension.