Delhi Airport sees 48 flight cancellations amid Gulf tensions

NEW DELHI: Flight operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport have been severely affected since last night, with 48 cancellations reported across both arrivals and departures, according to airport sources.

Among the affected services, 28 were incoming flights and 20 were outbound, with national carrier Air India and low-cost operator IndiGo bearing the brunt of the disruptions.

Air India had 17 arrival and 10 departure cancellations, totalling 27 flights. IndiGo followed with 8 arrival and 7 departure cancellations, amounting to 15 flights. Other airlines, including global carriers, saw 3 arrivals and 3 departures cancelled.

Meanwhile, flight operations to and from several airports in the country were disrupted on Monday due to airspace closures in Qatar and parts of the Gulf region.

This included — (SVPIA) in Ahmedabad, Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, and Mangaluru International Airport.

In addition, Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow and Cochin International Airport in Kerala also issued advisories cautioning passengers of possible delays and cancellations.

In a statement, Cochin International Airport confirmed operational disruptions to several flights due to operational reasons. The affected flights include A1953 (Cochin to Doha), SG018 (Cochin to Dubai), 6E1403 (Cochin to Abu Dhabi), 6E1493 (Cochin to Riyadh), 6E1271 (Cochin to Muscat), 6E1272 (Muscat to Cochin), 6E1206/055 (Bahrain to Cochin to Dammam), SG017 (Dubai to Cochin), and 6E1404 (Abu Dhabi to Cochin), it said.

Authorities at all these airports advised passengers to confirm flight statuses with their airlines before heading to the airport, seeking their cooperation during this period.

This came following a significant escalation that unfolded in the region after Iran launched multiple missiles targeting US military installations in Qatar and Iraq, including Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar– the largest US military installation in the region, according to CNN.

The attacks were believed to be a retaliatory move by Iran following US airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities — Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow — in the early hours of Sunday. (ANI)