Flights Cancelled at Amritsar Airport as Israel-Iran Conflict Disrupts Airspace

Amritsar Airport Director Bhupinder Singh added that five flights were affected, including a SpiceJet flight to Dubai that was recalled midair after refuelling, and an IndiGo flight from Amritsar, which was diverted to Surat.

Speaking to ANI, Bhupinder Singh said, "Yesterday, five flights were cancelled. 2 flights were cancelled on the ground. 2 other flights had taken off; one was SpiceJet for Dubai, which was in midair and was called back to Amritsar around 7 PM after refuelling. The other flight was IndiGo 6E 147 from Amritsar, which was diverted to Surat Airport. Another flight, Air Express, which was on the ground, and passengers de-boarded. Another Indigo flight coming from Sharjah to Amritsar was cancelled. Another Air India flight to Birmingham got cancelled."

The cancellations come amid heightened hostilities in the Middle East after coordinated military strikes involving Israel and the United States targeted Iranian sites, triggering retaliatory threats and airspace shutdowns in Iran, Israel and Iraq.

The conflict has led to major disruptions in global aviation, with airlines suspending services to Gulf destinations as a precautionary measure.

On Saturday, in Bengaluru, several passengers were left stranded at Kempegowda International Airport after multiple flights to Middle Eastern destinations were cancelled amid escalating tensions between Iran and Israel.

The disruptions follow widespread airspace closures across parts of West Asia, affecting international travel routes.

Rashid Khan, one of the stranded passengers, told ANI that the airport authorities cited the ongoing conflict as the reason behind the cancellation. "The reason the airport authority gave me was the Iran-Israel war. My flight is cancelled," he said. Khan was scheduled to travel from Delhi to Bengaluru and onward to Abu Dhabi. "They gave me the option of another city. I chose my city. My route was Delhi to Bangalore and Bangalore to Abu Dhabi. Now it is cancelled," he added, expressing frustration over the sudden change in plans.

Another passenger at the airport said uncertainty continues over when operations will resume. "Authorities are saying that the flights will not be resumed until the ceasefire is in place there. We have to go there. Our office and everything are there. We are going to Italy directly from Bahrain. Now, there is no flight for Bahrain," the passenger said.

Earlier, the Ministry of Civil Aviation announced that 444 flights are expected to be cancelled.

In a post on X, the MoCA stated that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is in complete coordination with all the concerned airlines to ensure passenger safety and operational regulations.

"Due to airspace restrictions over Iran and parts of the Middle East, 410 flights of domestic carriers were cancelled on 28 February, and 444 flights are expected to be cancelled on 1 March. DGCA is maintaining close coordination with airlines to ensure full compliance with safety and operational regulations," the post read.

- ANI