Middle East crisis: Indian airlines cancel 350 flights on Sunday
New Delhi/ Mumbai (PTI): Indian airlines cancelled 350 international flights on Sunday as operational disruptions continued for the second day due to the escalating Middle East conflict.
With airspace closures in the Middle East and security concerns, Air India and IndiGo have also cancelled their flights that use these airspaces.
"In view of airspace restrictions arising from geopolitical developments in the Middle East, a total of 350 flights operated by Indian domestic carriers have been cancelled on 01.03.2026," the civil aviation ministry said in a post on X at 1634 hours on Sunday.
At 0125 hours, the ministry in an X post said that 444 international flights were expected to be cancelled on Sunday due to airspace restrictions over Iran and parts of the Middle East.
On February 28, the ministry said 410 flights of domestic carriers were cancelled.
Air India and SpiceJet shared details about the number of flights cancelled through X posts.
Air India said Sunday morning it had cancelled a total of 22 international flights, besides 28 it had announced on February 28 due to the Middle East crisis.
According to SpiceJet, 33 flights to and from the UAE have been cancelled.
Air India Express extended the suspension of flights to and from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates until 2359 hours IST on March 2.
IndiGo said the temporary suspension of select international flights that use Middle East airspace, has been extended until 2359 hours IST on March 2.
All airlines provided the updates through posts on X while Air India Express issued a statement.
Meanwhile, the ministry also said it was closely coordinating with airlines, airport operators and other stakeholders to proactively monitor the situation and facilitate necessary passenger support.
Airlines are also offering waivers for rescheduling and cancellation charges.
Air India and Air India Express said that for bookings made on or before February 28 with travel originally planned up to March 5, passengers can reschedule flights at no additional charge or request a full refund.
This is for travel to and from the Middle East, which has been impacted due to the ongoing situation.
At least 225 flights were cancelled at Delhi and Mumbai airports on Sunday. These include departures and arrivals.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
