After Iran targets a US base in Qatar, Air India cancels all its flights to and from the Middle East, North America, and Europe.
In light of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, Air India has suspended all its flights over the Gulf region until further notice. This follows hours after Iran carried out a missile assault on the US air base Al-Udeid in Doha.
Due to airspace restrictions, Air India has halted operations from the East Coast of North America and Europe, as its long-haul flights bypass the Middle East and have been affected.

“In light of the evolving situation in the Middle East, Air India has immediately suspended all flights to the region, as well as to and from the East Coast of North America and Europe, until further notice,” Air India stated.
It added that flights from North America heading to India are returning to their points of origin, while other flights are either going back to India or being redirected away from the airspaces that are closed.
“We ask for the understanding of all passengers who may be impacted by this disruption, which is beyond the airline’s control. Air India is in ongoing discussions with its external security experts and is carefully observing the developing situation. Our passengers will be kept informed of any updates. “The safety and security of our passengers and staff are our top priority,” stated the Air India spokesperson.
Air India Express redirected its flight from Kochi to Muscat instead of heading to Doha and returned its flight that was supposed to depart from Kannur. In a statement, it said, “We have no other flights to Qatar.”
Air India Express offers 25 flights per week to Doha, the capital of Qatar. From Kannur, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangaluru, Thiruvananthapuram and Tiruchchirappalli, the carrier provides direct services to Doha.
Additionally, the airline offers eight one-stop destinations from Doha: Bengaluru, Bhubaneshwar, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Pune.
On Monday night, Iran announced that it had targeted American troops at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. While martial music played, it announced the news on state television. A screen caption referred to it as “a mighty and successful response by the armed forces of Iran to America’s aggression.”
The attack occurred shortly after Qatar closed its airspace as a precaution due to threats from Iran.
Qatar denounced the Iranian assault on the biggest US military base in the area, which is located within its borders, labeling it a “flagrant violation” of its sovereignty.
In a statement, foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari said, “We express the State of Qatar’s strong condemnation of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’ attack on Al Udeid Air Base, deeming it a blatant violation of the sovereignty and airspace of the State of Qatar and international law.”