Air India Suspends Flights To Europe And North America As Travel To Middle East Faces Wider Disruption

Amid escalating tensions in the Middle East following Iranian missile strikes on an American military base in Qatar on June 23, Air India announced on Tuesday morning (June 24) the immediate suspension of all flights to the region and routes connecting to the East Coast of North America and Europe.

“Amid the developing situation in the Middle East, Air India has ceased all operations to the region as well as to routes and from the East Coast of North America and Europe with immediate effect, until further notice,” an Air India spokesperson said in a statement.

“Our India-bound flights from North America are diverting back to their respective origins, and others are being diverted back to India or re-routed away from the closed airspaces,” they added.

Air India has urged travellers to remain patient as the crisis unfolds.

“We request the understanding of all passengers who may be affected by this disruption that’s beyond an airline’s control,” the airline said, noting that it is closely monitoring the situation.

Flights To The Middle East Face Disruptions

On June 23, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the country’s authorities had temporarily suspended all air traffic in its airspace to ensure the safety of citizens, residents and visitors.

A day later, the country’s General Civil Aviation Authority later announced that “the return of the atmosphere to normal” had been achieved after coordinating with relevant agencies.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain reopened their airspaces after a temporary closure following Iran's attack on the US military base in Qatar on Monday evening. 

IndiGo said on Tuesday morning that it is presently and progressively resuming operations as airports across the Middle East gradually reopen.

“We continue to monitor the situation closely and are fully considering the safest available flight paths to ensure secure and seamless travel,” the airline said in a post on X.

A number of international flights into the UAE and Qatar remain cancelled or suspended as of Tuesday.

Air Canada, which suspended its daily non-stop flights between Toronto and Dubai on June 18, will continue to pause the flights until July 3 “as a precautionary measure.”

The suspension could be further extended “following a safety assessment in consultation with government and other authorities,” the airline said.

Chicago-based United Airlines has also suspended flights from Newark, New Jersey, to Dubai until July 3.

Dutch airline KLM has halted operations to Dubai, as well as Riyadh and Dammam in Saudi Arabia. It is offering rebook and refund options to passengers who were scheduled to fly between Amsterdam and Dubai between June 19 and June 29.

British Airways, which cancelled flights to Dubai on Sunday, said on Monday night that their flights to and from Dubai were operating as normal. British Airways flights to and from Doha, however, have been suspended until Wednesday, June 25.

(With inputs from multiple news reports)