Uncertainty, Caution: Indians Await Flight Resumption Amid Middle East Chaos

As tensions escalate in the Middle East, the ripple effects are being felt far beyond the conflict zone. From students stranded in Iran to anxious families at Indian airports, lakhs of people are navigating flight delays, cancellations, and airspace disruptions.

In south Iran's Shiraz, a student from Srinagar says while daily life has become uncertain. "It's safe here for now," Quershia said over a patchy message that took several attempts and a working VPN to send. "We don't have international internet access. Sometimes a VPN connects and we're able to text, that too after attempting to connect to many servers."

Her world has shrunk to her campus building and the sky above it. "We can hear surveillance drones and air defence activity. We have seen bombing in Shiraz, and the air activity is also increasing day by day," she says. "ATMs are running out of cash. It's really difficult to even send a message."

Following escalating hostilities between Iran and Israel, including reported missile and drone exchanges, Iran's airspace has been closed, and internet restrictions were tightened. Several countries issued advisories, and airlines are adjusting routes to avoid conflict zones.

At Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport, around 100 flights on Monday remain cancelled to and from the Middle East and the West. 

At the same time, families heading for the Umrah pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia clutched boarding passes with cautious hope. Dr Rafia Khan had come to see her parents off to Saudi Arabia. Fear and faith stood side by side. "We were scared because the Gulf is on fire today, and our parents are going to a place we fear could become a war zone," she says. "We kept calling the airlines repeatedly. There were so many passengers with queries. But the staff was very courteous. They gave us proper updates, which is why we were able to come and see them off."

According to her, both Air India and Saudi Arabian Airlines' flights to Saudi Arabia were operating as scheduled at the time. "All flights of India and Saudi Airlines are functioning normally. There has been no disruption. We appreciate that Saudi Airlines has taken full care of its pilgrims," she says, adding with quiet resolve, "The situation is bad, but Allah has called us. He alone will protect us."

Another passenger waiting to board echoed the similar sentiment, "We are going to Mecca to perform Umrah. The situation is very difficult, but our turn came, so we decided to go. We had applied long ago, when everything was normal."

Saudi airspace is partially closed affecting area bordering Iraq and the Persian Gulf, as per a NOTAM issued expiring at 2.30 pm IST. 

For many others, however, travel plans have unravelled.

Badruddin, a passenger bound for Muscat, says his Air India flight scheduled for around 10 am was abruptly cancelled. "I work in the travel industry. An Air India flight from Mumbai, in which some of my clients were booked, has also been cancelled," he says. "We're not getting updates on rescheduling. Almost all flights to the Middle East are being cancelled."

Air India, according to its official advisories on social media, has suspended or rerouted certain services to and from parts of the Middle East due to airspace restrictions and safety concerns, particularly over Iranian and Israeli airspace.

In another corner of the airport, Akshay Sharma, a London-based doctor, was recalculating his journey home. "We were supposed to travel to London on February 28, but our flight got cancelled because of the situation," he says. "We rebooked on EgyptAir via Cairo to Heathrow. The flight was scheduled for 11.20 am, but it's delayed by seven hours."

His grandmother Krishna Kaushik sits beside him, anxiety etched across her face. "We're worried. We don't know if we'll be able to go. But it's important for us to return, so we're taking the risk and hoping we make it."

EgyptAir, along with several other international carriers, has rerouted or temporarily adjusted operations in response to regional airspace advisories, as per updates shared on airline handles and aviation trackers.

Reacting to reports of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's death, a passenger said, "We've lost our supreme leader. War is never the answer to peace. What the West is doing is uncalled for. The loss is huge."