Escalating tensions in the Middle East disrupted international air travel on Tuesday, with 80 overseas flights cancelled at Delhi airport amid operational challenges faced by airlines.
According to an official, 36 departures and 44 arrivals were called off at the national capital’s airport during the morning hours.
"Due to the ongoing political situation in the Middle East, several westbound international flights are causing delays or schedule adjustments," Delhi airport operator DIAL said in a post on X.
Some carriers, including Emirates, have partially resumed operations to and from the Middle East. However, disruptions continued. An Emirates flight EK513 en route to Dubai returned to Delhi owing to airspace restrictions, according to data from flight tracking website Flightradar24.com.
The official added that another Emirates service, flight EK512 from Dubai, landed safely at the Delhi airport on Tuesday morning.
Delhi airport handles more than 1,300 flights daily. Over the past three days, Indian airlines have cancelled 1,117 international flights as the Middle East crisis continues to impact global aviation operations.