Middle East crisis impacts IndiGo's cancellation of over 500 flights, leaving passengers distressed:IndiGo flights cancelled in areas like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Jeddah, Medina

News Topical, Digital Desk : Airspace restrictions in the Middle East due to ongoing tensions and military actions between the US, Israel, and Iran have severely impacted global aviation. Indian airline IndiGo has cancelled more than 500 flights to the Middle East and select international destinations in the last four days (February 28 to March 3).

IndiGo confirmed this in a regulatory filing on Wednesday. The airline said the move was necessitated by frequent changes and restrictions in the airspace over Iran and other Gulf countries.

"Our operations teams are continuously assessing regional developments, rescheduling flight schedules and planning repatriation operations in coordination with Indian and relevant international authorities to minimise passenger inconvenience," the company said.

These cancellations primarily apply to flights that transit the Middle Eastern airspace, including major destinations such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Jeddah, and Medina. IndiGo has offered passengers alternative arrangements, refunds, or rebooking options.

According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, 1,221 flights by Indian airlines and 388 flights by foreign airlines have been cancelled (as of March 3) due to the current situation. The ministry said that on March 3, the number of international flights from India was only 356, while 338 flights landed at various airports.

In a regulatory filing, the airline said it will continue to closely monitor the revenue environment arising from this situation. Flight services have been significantly impacted since February 28 by the airspace restrictions in the Middle East due to the ongoing conflict between the US, Israel and Iran.