UAE-India flights: Some travellers stranded, rebook flights amid airspace closures

The UAE-India air corridor — one of the busiest in the world — has been impacted by delays and cancellations of multiple flights due to the recent closure of airspace. Hundreds of UAE residents and tourists were stranded. Some were suck mid-transit in the country, while others had to rebook flights and adjust their travel plans while abroad.

The UAE–India trade route transports over 10 million passengers every year and is often considered of the top international corridor by total volume. In 2023, a total of 19 million passengers were transported between the two countries. 

Among the hardest hit were travellers on Air India flights. On Monday, six flights operated by Air India Express — Air India’s low-cost subsidiary — departing from Dubai to destinations like Lucknow, Mangalore, and Kochi, were either delayed or cancelled.

One such affected traveller, former UAE resident Salim, had returned to Dubai with his wife to visit their children. They were scheduled to fly back to India on Monday evening. However, on Monday afternoon, he received a cancellation notice.

Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.

Part of the message he received read: “We regret to inform you that your flight has been cancelled due to airspace closure. We understand that your travel plans may be affected. We kindly request you to contact Air India support team for service recovery options.”

Further compounding the issue, Air India faced a tragic aviation disaster last Thursday. A London-bound flight, AI 171, crashed into a medical college building shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, marking the world’s worst aviation incident in a decade. In response, India’s aviation regulator ordered inspections of the airline’s 33 Dreamliner aircraft. These inspections, coupled with the airspace restrictions, have triggered a cascade of cancellations.

“I have a couple of matters that I need to attend to, so I need to get back to my hometown as soon as possible,” he said. “I have now rebooked to travel to my hometown of Kannur from Fujairah on Tuesday on a different airline. My wife and I are completely packed and ready to go. We are hoping that we can get home soon.”

Dubai resident Samreen was scheduled to arrive in Sharjah on Monday evening from the city of Kozhikode, but her flight was canceled as well. “I needed to get back to the UAE so I tried to rebook on FlyDubai but it was completely sold out,” she said. “So, I rebooked for Tuesday on another low-cost airline. Hopefully, there will be no issues with that flight.”

Other airlines impacted

Passengers flying between UAE and India on other airlines were also impacted by cancellations and delays.

Indian airline Spicejet issued a statement on social media platform X regarding this. “We are experiencing massive ATC (Air Traffic Control) congestion at Dubai due to airspace closure over Iran and the unavailability of Muscat airspace. All departures/ arrivals and their consequential flights might get affected,” it wrote.

In a statement to Khaleej Times, Dubai Airport (DXB) acknowledged the disruption and thanked passengers for their patience. A spokesperson stated: “We are working around the clock with our airline partners and all relevant stakeholders to minimise inconvenience and support affected guests, including efforts to accommodate those impacted in nearby hotels where needed. Travellers are advised to check directly with their airline for the latest updates before heading to the airport.”

Meanwhile, travel experts explained what was causing the issue on a route which usually doesn’t fly over any of the closed airspaces. “Right now, a lot of planes are using the UAE and Oman airspace to circumvent the closed ones,” said Safeer Mohammed, GM of Smart Travels. “This has caused a lot of congestion, leading to more delays.”

Meanwhile some passengers faced issues due to delay in flights. N.F. transited at the Sharjah International airport while traveling from Uganda to Kozhikode but her inward flight was delayed. “Due to the closure in airspace, the flight took a longer route, and I missed my connection flight,” she said. “Luckily, I was given food vouchers, and they provided me with a pod to sleep in. I was later able to travel home on a different flight.”