Flights disrupted at Delhi airport as West Asia airspace closures hit international routes – Firstpost

Several passengers were left stranded at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport as flight disruptions and cancellations unfolded following the evolving geopolitical situation in West Asia. The impact was felt on westbound international services after widespread airspace closures across parts of the region affected international flight routes.

In response to the
situation, Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport issued a passenger advisory outlining possible delays and schedule changes.

Westbound international flights may face delays

The airport stated, “Due to the ongoing political developments in the Middle East, westbound international flights may face delays or schedule adjustments. Passengers are strongly encouraged to contact their respective airlines for the latest flight information before heading to the airport.”

Passengers voice frustration over uncertainty

Amid the
uncertainty, some travellers reported extended waiting periods without clear updates. One stranded passenger described the difficulties caused by the cancellation of his flight.

“I was supposed to fly to Saudi from Delhi, but my flight was cancelled. We have been waiting for 14 hours, but we have not heard anything yet. It is becoming very difficult,” said the passenger.

Airspace disrupted 

Flights across West Asia were cancelled on Saturday after several countries shut their airspace following strikes on Iran carried out by the US government and Israel.

Iran, Iraq, Israel, Syria, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates all announced full or partial airspace closures in the hours after smoke rose over Tehran and Iran launched retaliatory strikes across the region.

Iranian missiles struck capital cities around the Gulf, killing at least one person, as witnesses reported seeing both warplanes and projectiles cutting across the night sky.

Airlines including Air France, Air India, Turkish Airlines, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Air Algerie and Lufthansa announced widespread cancellations.

According to aviation analytics company Cirium, 966 out of 4,218 flights (22.9 per cent) scheduled to land in West Asian countries on Saturday were cancelled. This figure rose to more than 1,800 when outbound flights were included. For Sunday, 716 flights out of 4,329 scheduled to the region had been cancelled.

Flight tracking website FlightAware reported that more than 19,000 flights had been delayed globally and over 2,600 cancelled as of 0230 GMT Sunday.

Airspace closures

• Iran closed its airspace “until further notice”, according to the spokesperson of the Civil Aviation Organisation, quoted by Tasnim News Agency.

• Israel suspended civilian flights, announced by Transport Minister Miri Regev.

• Qatar temporarily closed its airspace, its civil aviation authority said.

•  Iraq shut down its skies, according to state media.

• The United Arab Emirates announced a partial and temporary closure.

•  Syria closed part of its southern airspace near the Israeli border for 12 hours, its Civil Aviation Authority said.

• Jordan stated that its air force was conducting drills to defend the kingdom’s airspace.