Air India has cancelled 22 additional international flights scheduled for Sunday, raising the total number of overseas service suspensions to 50 amid intensifying instability in the Middle East. The decision follows mounting airspace restrictions and security concerns triggered by the ongoing regional crisis.
According to India’s Civil Aviation Ministry, Indian carriers are expected to cancel as many as 444 international flights on March 1 due to operational disruptions linked to restricted air corridors across the Middle East. The Tata Group-owned airline stated that “close monitoring and careful assessment of the evolving situation in the Middle East have necessitated further curtailment of its scheduled operations.”
The cancellations affect several major long-haul routes, including 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). The airline has advised passengers to check flight status updates and seek rebooking options as the situation develops.
The disruption comes amid reports of explosions in Dubai. A CNN team on the ground reported hearing three loud blasts on Sunday morning, followed shortly by additional explosions. While no injuries have been confirmed, authorities stated that debris from an aerial interception over Dubai’s Business Bay ignited a fire at one of the berths at Jebel Ali Port.
Dubai’s media office confirmed that emergency teams were deployed immediately. “Dubai Civil Defense teams responded immediately and are continuing efforts to fully extinguish the fire. No injuries have been reported,” the statement said. Residents described thick plumes of black smoke rising above the port area overnight.
Meanwhile, Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, accused Israel of “seeking to partition” Iran following its joint attack with the United States. In remarks carried by the Fars state news agency, Larijani claimed the Israeli regime “has no choice but to resort to partitioning large countries in order to ensure its own survival.”
He also criticised US President Donald Trump, calling him “the perfect symbol of plunder” for allegedly attempting to seize Iran’s resources. Before his reported death, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had designated Larijani as acting leader. Following Khamenei’s killing, Larijani warned: “America and the Zionist regime burned the hearts of the Iranian nation, and we will burn their hearts too.”
