Air travel between India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been disrupted on Sunday, March 15, after operational restrictions were introduced at several UAE airports.

The changes come amid a volatile security situation in West Asia linked to the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran. The situation has led to tighter airport operations and airspace limitations, forcing airlines to cancel or scale back several services.

Here is a quick explainer on what is happening and how it could affect travellers.

Why flights are being disrupted

UAE civil aviation authorities have instructed airlines to reduce operations at multiple airports. Following these directions, airlines have updated schedules and cancelled a number of flights between India and the UAE.

The restrictions have also affected additional “ad-hoc” flights — services that airlines often schedule outside their regular timetable to handle higher passenger demand.

Because of these operational limits, several flights scheduled for March 15 have either been cancelled or reduced.

Passengers travelling between the two countries have been advised to check flight status before heading to the airport and confirm updated schedules with their airline.

How Indian airlines are adjusting schedules

Air India and Air India Express have curtailed several flights to UAE destinations after the airport restrictions.

On the Delhi–Dubai route, only a single return flight is operating for each airline, while most of the other scheduled services to Dubai have been cancelled for the day. Air India Express has also cancelled all of its flights to Abu Dhabi.

Some flights are still expected to operate from Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah to Indian cities including Delhi, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mumbai, Kannur and Thiruvananthapuram. However, these services depend on slot availability and prevailing operational conditions.

IndiGo has also cancelled multiple flights to and from Dubai as a result of the airspace restrictions. The airline has indicated that the evolving regional situation could continue to affect schedules.

Meanwhile, SpiceJet has arranged a limited number of special flights to bring passengers from the UAE to India. These include services from Fujairah to Delhi and Mumbai as well as a Dubai–Pune flight, with additional flights planned the following day.

Passengers whose flights have been cancelled are being offered the option to rebook on another date without additional charges or to claim a full refund.

Situation remains fluid

Airlines say they are monitoring the situation closely while coordinating with airport authorities and aviation regulators.

Further changes to schedules remain possible depending on airspace availability and operational conditions in the region.

Travellers flying between India and the UAE have been advised to stay in touch with their airline and check for updates before travelling.

(The information in this report is based on updates available up to 1 pm IST on March 15, and flight schedules may change as the situation evolves.)