As airspace closures and flight cancellations continue to disrupt travel across the Middle East, airlines around the world are taking steps to assist passengers stranded in the region. From refunds to flexible rebooking options, several measures have been introduced to ease the stress for travellers trying to return to their home countries.Now, Indian airline IndiGo has extended a full waiver on flight cancellations for passengers travelling to and from the Middle East and Istanbul, Turkey, as regional volatility persists, according to a statement by the airline on Friday.
The free waivers on cancellations will be applicable till March 31, 2026, shared IndiGo. It also advised customers to keep checking updates on their flight status on IndiGo’s website and social media channels. “Full waiver on cancellations is being extended for travel to and from the Middle East, and Istanbul, until 31 March 2026,” IndiGo said in a statement. The airline said it is closely monitoring developments across the impacted region and is sharing real-time updates on the aforementioned channels. The airline said that it remains firmly committed to prioritising the safety and security of its passengers, crew and aircraft.
Earlier disruptions
Previously, IndiGo had cancelled over 500 flights to the Middle East and other selected destinations from February 28 to March 3 due to the airspace restrictions over Iran and other Gulf regions. “Our operational teams are continuously assessing the evolving regional developments, recalibrating flight schedules, and planning repatriation operations in coordination with relevant authorities in India and the respective international jurisdictions, with the objective of minimising disruption to passengers,” it had stated in the filing.
Regional aviation impact
The ongoing Iran-US-Israel conflict has significantly disrupted aviation across the Middle East. According to a Bloomberg report, at least 27,000 flights to the region have been cancelled since the start of the crisis.Out of approximately 51,600 flights scheduled to and from the Middle East since February 28, more than half have been cancelled.Major Gulf carriers including Emirates, Etihad Airways, flydubai and Air Arabia have resumed restricted operations with a limited number of flights to help stranded passengers. Travellers have been urged to check flight status before heading to airports as schedules continue to change rapidly.
