Air India stops flights to Europe, 5 destinations in US, Canada including New York, Newark, Washington DC, Chicago, and Toronto

Air India has stopped flying to Europe and five cities in the U.S. and Canada because of growing tensions in the Middle East. Flights by Air India Express and IndiGo going to the Middle East have also been affected, with some being diverted to other airports.

The situation worsened after Iran launched a missile attack on a US military base in Qatar. In response, some countries, including Qatar, shut down their airspace, making it harder for airlines to fly over the region.

Many of Air India’s long-distance flights to Europe and North America usually fly over the Middle East. Because of the new flight restrictions, those routes have been disrupted.

In a statement, Air India said it has stopped all flights to Europe and the eastern parts of North America, including New York, Newark, Washington D.C., Chicago, and Toronto, until further notice.

Flights that had already taken off from North America are now turning back to where they came from or being rerouted away from the affected areas. Some are also returning to India.

The airline said it is closely watching the situation and is in touch with security experts for advice. “We understand this is a difficult situation, and we ask for patience and understanding from all passengers impacted by these changes, which are beyond our control,” Air India said.

Air India Express also had to change flight paths due to Qatar’s airspace being shut. One flight from Kochi to Doha was sent to Muscat instead, and another from Kannur turned back.

IndiGo, SpiceJet, and Air India Express flights hit by Middle East tensions

IndiGo has announced on X (formerly Twitter) that flights to and from several cities in the Middle East are being affected due to the rising tensions in the region. These cities include Dubai, Doha, Bahrain, Dammam, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Ras Al-Khaimah, and even Tbilisi.

The airline said it is closely watching the situation and is making necessary changes to flight operations to keep passengers and crew safe.

SpiceJet also shared an update, saying that because of airspace closures near Dubai, many of its departures, arrivals, and connected flights could face delays or cancellations.

Meanwhile, Air India Express has also been impacted. The airline usually runs 25 weekly direct flights to Doha from cities like Kannur, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangaluru, Thiruvananthapuram, and Tiruchchirappalli.

In addition, Air India Express connects Doha with eight other Indian cities through one-stop routes. These include Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Pune.

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