Air India Suspends All Flights Over Gulf Region Following Iran's Missile Attack On US Airbase

Air India has suspended all flights over the Gulf region indefinitely after Iran launched a missile attack on the US airbase in Doha. The airline has also stopped operations to and from the East Coast of North America and Europe. "Amid the developing situation in the Middle East, Air India has ceased all operations to the region as well as to and from the East Coast of North America and Europe with immediate effect, until further notice," it said in a statement.

Air India's long-haul routes to Europe and North America typically pass over the Middle East, causing significant disruption due to airspace restrictions. Flights heading back to India from North America are being redirected or returning to their starting points. "Air India is in continuous consultation with its external security advisors and is vigilantly monitoring the evolving situation. We will keep our passengers informed of any updates. The safety and security of our passengers and staff remain our number one priority," it said.

Impact on Air Travel

Earlier, Air India had cancelled a flight from Cochin bound for Qatar. Other airlines have also adjusted their schedules by cancelling, diverting, or returning flights amid heightened tensions in the Middle East. Air India Express rerouted its Doha-bound flight from Kochi to Muscat and returned another flight scheduled from Kannur. "We have no other flights bound for Qatar," it said in a statement.

The airline operates 25 weekly flights to Doha, Qatar's capital, with direct services from cities like Kannur, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangaluru, Thiruvananthapuram, and Tiruchchirappalli. Additionally, there are eight one-stop destinations from Doha including Bengaluru, Bhubaneshwar, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Pune.

Regional Tensions Escalate

Iran's military announced a "devastating and powerful" missile strike on Qatar's Al Udeid airbase following explosions heard across Doha after Tehran threatened retaliation for US airstrikes. Kuwait closed its airspace "until further notice" following Bahrain's similar action as Iran targeted a US base in Qatar in response to American strikes.

Qatar condemned the attack strongly and declared its right to respond directly according to international law equivalent to the "nature and scale of this brazen aggression." Meanwhile, both the White House and Defense Department are closely observing potential threats to Al Udeid airbase.