Air India cancels 50 international flights amid Middle East crisis

Air India has cancelled 22 more international services for Sunday, taking the total number of overseas flight cancellations announced so far to 50 due to the Middle East crisis.

Indian airlines are expected to cancel 444 international flights on March 1 due to airspace restrictions in the Middle East, according to the Civil Aviation Ministry.

The Tata Group-owned airline on Sunday said close monitoring and careful assessment of the evolving situation in the Middle East have necessitated further curtailment of its scheduled operations.

Flights to and from Mumbai-London (AI131/ AI130), Delhi- Birmingham (AI113/ AI118), Delhi-Amsterdam (AI155/ AI156), Delhi-Zurich (AI151/ AI152), Delhi-Milan (AI137 / AI138), Delhi-Vienna (AI153 / AI154) and Bengaluru-London (Heathrow) (AI133 / AI132) have been cancelled for the day.

Other cancelled flights are AI157 / AI158 on the Delhi-Copenhagen, AI2017 / AI2018 and AI2015/AI2016 on the Delhi-London (Heathrow), as well as AI2029 / AI2030 on the Delhi-Frankfurt routes, the airline said in a post on X.

On Saturday, Air India announced the cancellation of 28 overseas flights on various routes for Sunday.

Aviation regulator DGCA is closely coordinating with airlines to ensure full compliance with safety and operational regulations.

There were no specific updates on international operations from IndiGo on Sunday.

The conflict between Israel and the US, and Iran has also resulted in multiple airspace closures in the Middle East, massively disrupting flight operations.

India assures visa relief to stranded foreign travellers

Meanwhile, in view of flight cancellations following the escalating security situation in the Middle East, India on Sunday asked foreign nationals in the country to approach relevant authorities for visa extensions.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued an advisory for foreign nationals impacted by the travel disruptions.

The MEA urged foreign nationals to contact their nearest Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) if they require assistance with visa extensions or need to regularise their stay.

“All foreign nationals in India, who have had to change their travel plans due to the ongoing developments in the West Asia region and need assistance with extension of their visa or to regularise their stay, are requested to contact the nearest Foreigners Regional Registration Office,” it said.

The MEA said the FRROs concerned will extend assistance. It is not immediately clear how many foreign tourists are stranded in India due to the flight cancellations.

(With inputs from Agencies)

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