Airlines cancel 180 flight services due to airspace curbs in Middle East

Mumbai, Mar 4 (PTI) Around 180 flights from three metro airports, ”Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru, ”were cancelled on Wednesday owing to airspace restrictions amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, sources said.

While 93 flights, including 48 departures and 45 arrivals, were cancelled at Mumbai Airport, Delhi Airport saw 52 cancellations that included 25 departures and 27 arrivals on Wednesday.

Various airlines operating at Bengaluru airport did not operate 34 flights, including 18 arrivals, sources said.

With airspace curbs in the Middle East due to the conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran, flight services have been significantly impacted since February 28.

Meanwhile, sources said Mumbai Airport handled eight repatriation flights operated by both domestic and international airlines on Wednesday.

While SpiceJet operated two repatriated flights to Mumbai from Fujairah, Air India operated a flight to the city from Dubai on Wednesday.

Gulf carrier Emirates operated three such flights from Dubai to Mumbai while Gulf Air and Royal Jordanian operated one each to the financial capital from Amman (Jordan) and Dammam (Saudi Arabia)on Wednesday, the sources said.

The Civil Aviation Ministry on Tuesday had said that 1,221 flights by Indian carriers and 388 flights by foreign carriers had been cancelled (till March3) due to the ongoing situation.

As per the Ministry website, the number of departed international flights from India was 356, while 338 international flights landed at various international airports in the country on March 3. PTI IAS RAM MR