DGCA provides temporary flight duty relaxations to Air India amid West Asia conflict

NEW DELHI: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has temporarily allowed Air India relaxations in flight duty norms amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia, sources said.

According to sources, Air India is operating flights through longer alternative routes, resulting in longer flying hours, due to restrictions on Iranian and Iraqi airspace. As this happens, the DGCA has provided temporary relaxations to Air India in flight duty norms till Iran situation is resolved.

Meanwhile, as per Qatar Airways, the airline operated one flight to India (to New Delhi) on March 15. Three flights are planned by the airline to India on March 16 as well as on March 17. These flights will be to New Delhi, Mumbai, and Kochi.

As per the advisory issued by Qatar Airways, passengers can visit the airline’s website or contact a travel agent in order to book these flights and to get the latest updates. Qatar Airways has also asked passengers not to arrive at the departure airport unless they hold a valid, confirmed ticket for travel.

The Indian Embassy continues to coordinate with local authorities and Qatar Airways for the facilitation of travel of stranded Indian nationals and emergency cases, the airlines said in a statement.

Your safety remains our priority.

Flights are currently operating within a limited safe corridor defined by the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority. Therefore, the number of flights that can operate each day are limited under the current operational conditions. The safety and… pic.twitter.com/rByzjAMxV6

— Qatar Airways (@qatarairways) March 15, 2026

In a post on X, it said, “Your safety remains our priority. Flights are currently operating within a limited safe corridor defined by the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority. Therefore, the number of flights that can operate each day are limited under the current operational conditions. The safety and wellbeing of our passengers and crew remain our highest priority”.

.@CAAQATAR shared a video on X on Saturday outlining how it is maintaining high readiness and continuous coordination to ensure flight safety and maintain the highest levels of #security in the #airspace. pic.twitter.com/KtJxvBD5xY

— Doha News (@dohanews) March 15, 2026

Amid the evolving situation in West Asia, IndiGo on Sunday announced further flight restrictions to and from Dubai. According to IndiGo, due to the development, some flights scheduled to operate between March 15 and 17 have been affected.

“Due to the evolving situation in the Middle East, flight operations in Dubai have been further restricted, leading to changes in flight schedules. As a result, some flights scheduled to operate between 15-17 March have been affected,” the airline said in a statement.

“Customers are requested to note the following: Customers are requested to check their flight status at bit.ly/31paVKQ before leaving for the airport. We are sending timely notifications to customers through their registered contact details. Customers may also contact our Customer Contact Centre at +91 124 6173838 for further assistance. We remain committed to supporting our customers, while keeping the safety of our customers, crew and aircraft our top priority,” the airline said.

The conflict in West Asia has widened with the US, Israel and Iran targeting each other’s energy infrastructures, threatening the global supply of oil and gas.

Spice Jet on Sunday announced it is operating special flights from Fujairah in the UAE to India. Spice Jet further said that flight operations to/from Dubai have been further restricted, which may result in changes to flight schedules.

In a post on X, it said, “Travel Update: Due to the evolving situation in the Middle East, flight operations to/from Dubai have been further restricted, which may result in changes to flight schedules. We are actively communicating the passengers about the changes via SMS/Email on the registered contact details. Passengers are advised to check their flight status via https://spicejet.com/#status before leaving for the airport, and can contact our 24×7 Reservation Helpline numbers at +91 (0)124 4983410 or +91 (0)124 7101600 for any immediate assistance.

#TravelUpdate: Due to the evolving situation in the Middle East, flight operations to/from Dubai have been further restricted, which may result in changes to flight schedules. We are actively communicating the passengers about the changes via SMS/Email on the registered contact…

— SpiceJet (@flyspicejet) March 15, 2026

SpiceJet operates special flights from Fujairah to India. Check your flight status before heading to the airport,” it added.

SpiceJet operates special flights from Fujairah to India.

Check your flight status before heading to the airport.#flyspicejet #SpiceJet pic.twitter.com/y4n8potFSg

— SpiceJet (@flyspicejet) March 15, 2026

Gulf Air also issued an advisory that several of its flights are operating via Dammam. In a post on X, Gulf Air said, “Update: As the closure of Bahrain airspace continues, Gulf Air is temporarily operating a number of commercial flights via Dammam. Next update: 11:00 BHT (08:00 UTC) Mar 16.”

Update: As the closure of Bahrain airspace continues, Gulf Air is temporarily operating a number of commercial flights via Dammam.
Next update: 11:00 BHT (08:00 UTC) Mar 16.
More info: https://t.co/Vjb5AqIn5i or the Gulf Air app.

— Gulf Air (@GulfAir) March 15, 2026

“Gulf Air has expanded its operations via King Fahad International Airport in Dammam. All passengers can now book commercial flights to LHR, BOM & BKK on http://gulfair.com or the Gulf Air app for travel between 15-16 March, with new dates to be announced in due course,” it added.

Gulf Air has expanded its operations via King Fahad International Airport in Dammam. All passengers can now book commercial flights to LHR, BOM & BKK on https://t.co/Vjb5AqIn5i or the Gulf Air app for travel between 15-16 March, with new dates to be announced in due course.

— Gulf Air (@GulfAir) March 15, 2026

Open for bookings: Gulf Air commercial flights from DMM to LHR, BOM and BKK: https://t.co/Vjb5AqIn5i pic.twitter.com/xA0dh5woUM

— Gulf Air (@GulfAir) March 15, 2026

A statement by Spice Jet said that in addition to these services, the airline was also operating a special flight from Dubai to Pune to assist passengers looking to travel to India. (ANI)