West Asia travel plans on hold as conflict rages on

Emirates said it is operating 100 scheduled flights on Thursday and Friday carrying both passengers and cargo
| Photo Credit:
REUTERS

Travellers are postponing their upcoming trips to and via West Asia as Iran-US conflict rages on.

Domestic and foreign carriers are operating a limited number of flights to West Asia primarily to support stranded passengers while regular services remain largely suspended.

“At present, a significant number of travellers booked for near future travel to or via the West Asia region are opting to defer their travel plans. We are supporting date changes in accordance with the policies communicated by the respective airlines,” MakeMyTrip said in a statement.

MakeMyTrip said it has augmented capacity of its customer care centres and is also using AI for swift dissemination of information to travellers.

Bertrand Saillet, managing director of FCM Travel Asia said the company’s strong partnership with airlines and other suppliers has helped it to navigate the current situation effectively.

“Looking ahead we expect the West Asia’s role as a transit hub to face short-term challenges but we are optimistic about the region’s resilience and it’s ability to recover as stability returns,” Saillet added.

Global hubs, top destinations for Indians

Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha are among the biggest aviation hubs and hence the disruption in the region is impacting all over the world. According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways have a share of around 30 per cent of all passenger traffic between Europe and Asia. In case of traffic between Europe and Australia/New Zealand the share is 55 per cent.

UAE and Saudi Arabia are also the biggest destination for Indians for leisure, employment and business.

Qatar Airways begins relief flights from Muscat, Riyadh

Emirates said it is operating 100 scheduled flights on Thursday and Friday carrying both passengers and cargo.

“Emirates will continue to gradually build back its flying schedule, subject to airspace availability and all operational requirements,” it said.

While Doha airport is shut for passenger operations, Qatar Airways is operating a limited number of relief flights from Muscat and Riyadh to Europe to support stranded passengers. The airline did not respond to a media query on the topic.

Indian carriers continue to operate flights to bring home stranded travellers. SpiceJet is operating thirteen flights from UAE. Akasa Air is operating flights from Mumbai to Jeddah while services to other destinations in West Asia remain cancelled.

Published on March 5, 2026