Once again, the Middle East airspace has become turbulent for international flights between the US and India, Europe and South Asia, East Asia and Africa, and Europe and Australia. It is not even a year since the Middle East conflict troubled international travel in June 2025. The escalating US-Israel-Iran tensions 2026 have shut down several major airports in the Middle East, except Istanbul Airport, with transit passengers from the US, India and other countries stuck inside terminals. The temporary closure of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha Hamad International airports is also affecting the US to India travel.
Airlines suspend flights amid Iran-Israel crisis
Ensuring passenger safety against the Iran-Israel tensions, Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Airways have temporarily suspended their operations, including connecting flights at their hub airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha. Passengers who were about to take connecting flights to their destinations via the Middle East got stranded due to the precautionary closure of the airspace. Some India-bound flights from the US got diverted to Oman before reaching Dubai or Abu Dhabi. Some US-bound flights from India via the Middle East got diverted to Munich, as per various reports.
- Qatar Airways: Since the Qatari airspace is closed, Qatar Airways flights remain suspended on March 2.
- Etihad Airways: Etihad flights to and from Abu Dhabi will mostly remain suspended on March 6. Passengers holding valid Etihad tickets booked on or before FEB 28 for travel within March 10, 2026 can reschedule their travel on Etihad-operated flights through March 30, 2026.
- Emirates: Emirates flights to and from Dubai continue to be suspended through March 6. Emirates is open to rebooking your travel on alternate flights up to 30 April 2026 if your travel is originally scheduled on or before 31 March 2026.
In response to the current geo-political conflict, Kuwait Airways has also suspended all inbound and outbound flights for the time being. +965-1802050 is Kuwait Airways’ WhatsApp customer service number for the affected passengers. Only Turkish Airlines seems to be operating US-India flights via Istanbul, since Istanbul International Airport is not as affected as other Middle East airports.
Air India to reroute flights to/from New York and Newark through Rome
Air India flights to the US, Canada, and Europe are not immune to the worsening Iran-Israel conflict. The Middle East airspace closure and its impact on the surrounding regions forced Air India to suspend 50 flights to the West (the US, the UK, and Frankfurt) for March 1, 2026. The suspension of AI flights between Amritsar and Birmingham, Delhi and Zurich, Delhi and Copenhagen, and Delhi and Birmingham, is extended to 2 March, 2026.
The latest Air India news is that flights to North America and Europe (except the above routes) will be operating from 2 March as per the schedule, but the airline will reportedly use alternate routings, thereby increasing the flying hours. The below Air India flights to New York JFK and Newark EWR will take technical halts in Rome (Fiumicino Airport) until the geopolitical situation improves.
- AI119 and AI116 flights between BOM and JFK (via Rome)
- AI191 and AI144 flights between BOM and EWR (via Rome)
- AI101 and AI102 flights between DEL and JFK (via Rome)
Air India is open to rescheduling flights booked on or before 28 FEB 2026 for travel up to 5 March 2026 without levying any fee.
Passengers scheduled to travel to India or USA are strongly advised to watch out for airlines’ alerts and advisories. Save airlines’ customer helpline and emergency contact numbers for updates on your travel scheduled over this weekend or the next week. If your Indian Eagle flights to India or USA are affected by the Middle East crisis and the airspace closure, contact Indian Eagle customer support for rescheduling and alternate options.
Airlines that avoid Middle East airspace to operate US-India flights
US-India flights via Europe are unaffected in the current geo-political situation. Air France, British Airways, KLM, Lufthansa, and Swiss Air avoid the Middle East airspace for their US-India service. Similarly, Singapore Airlines, Japan Airlines, and Cathay Pacific are safe airlines for travel between USA and India amid the Middle East tensions. If you are looking to travel in March, check out IndianEagle.com or call +1800-615-3969 for best phone-only deals of Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, and European carriers.
General advice for those scheduled to travel later in March 2026
Don’t panic if your travel is at least one week away from now. Keep checking your flight PNR status every other day. Do act only if it shows cancelled on the airline website or you receive an alert or cancellation notification from the airline or the travel agency.
