Flight operations at Amritsar airport affected amid airspace restrictions in Middle East

Several flights operating to and from the Amritsar airport faced delays and cancellations on June 24 due to the ongoing tensions and temporary restrictions over the Iranian airspace. The disruptions impacted key international destinations including Dubai, Sharjah and Doha, as a result of which hundreds of passengers were affected.

According to available information, Qatar Airways’ Doha-Amritsar flight, which was originally scheduled to land at 2.10 am, arrived with a significant delay at 3.19 pm. As a result, the return flight to Doha, scheduled for 3.35 am, also departed late and left Amritsar at 4.41 pm.

In addition, SpiceJet and Air India Express cancelled their Dubai-Amritsar-Dubai services for the day, further impacting travellers to the Gulf region. IndiGo’s Amritsar-Sharjah flight, scheduled for 11.30 am, was also delayed by nearly half an hour and departed at 11.59 am. The incoming Sharjah-Amritsar flight took off from Sharjah at 3.35 pm.

Authorities have indicated that the situation has started to stabilise and it is expected that flight operations will return to their regular schedules shortly. However, travellers are still being advised to check the latest status of their flights before leaving for the airport.

For June 25, Air India Express has announced the cancellation of its morning flights between Sharjah and Amritsar. The affected flights include the 6.50 am Sharjah-Amritsar and the 8.30 am Amritsar-Sharjah services.

In an official travel advisory, Air India stated, “As airspaces gradually reopen in certain parts of the Middle East, Air India will progressively resume flights to the region starting tomorrow (June 25) with most operations to and from the Middle East resuming from June 25. Flights to and from Europe, previously cancelled, are also being reinstated. Some flights may still experience delays due to extended re-routings, but we are committed to reducing disruptions.”

The airline further reassured passengers that it will continue to avoid any airspaces deemed unsafe and that the safety of passengers, staff and aircraft remains its top priority. — TNS