With Israel launching air strikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites early Friday, airspace over Iran was shut down temporarily, disrupting international flight movement, including those bound for India. Dozens of flights were also delayed, diverted, or cancelled, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport and elsewhere.
Air India confirmed it had delayed or diverted several flights in view of passenger safety. “Due to the emerging situation in Iran, several of our flights were either delayed or returned to their origin after take-off,” the airline said in a statement.
At IGI’s Terminal 3, confusion and anxiety played out in long waits, unanswered questions, and mounting frustration.
Arun Negi, 33, from Uttarakhand, was en route to London with his wife and four-year-old daughter when their Air India flight was first delayed, then abruptly cancelled.
“We boarded at 6am, waited in the plane for over an hour. Around 7.30am, they told us the flight was cancelled and we should deboard and claim refunds,” said Negi.
He added, “The staff had no clarity on rescheduling. I live and work in London—this trip was essential. Now we’re stuck, looking for a hotel and booking new flights.”
Outside the arrivals gate, Rajendra Singh, 67, kept glancing at the flight information board.
“My daughter Sarbjit is flying in from Milan. Her flight’s two hours late. It left Italy, but still hasn’t landed. I heard on the news that this is happening because the Middle East airspace is shut. Someone told me the flight would be diverted to Dubai but nobody is sure,” he said.
With her phone unreachable, Singh and his son turned to Air India staff for updates, but found little help.
Shree Ram Pandit, a retired teacher from Jharkhand, had come to receive his wife, Susheela, returning from Chicago after visitng our daughter. “She left the US last night and was supposed to land by 2pm. She called me once in the morning saying the plane was diverted to Riyadh after the pilot made a mid-air announcement about a strike. Since then, her phone’s off and I don’t know where she is. We were to catch a flight home today. Now I don’t know where to stay in Delhi.”
According to airport officials, at least 25 flights were either cancelled, returned to origin, or delayed in the early hours of Friday. Many were re-routed via Gulf airports including Sharjah, Dubai, and Riyadh.
Rafe Singh, 30, a contractor from Patiala, waited anxiously for his sister, a student in New York, who was flying home to visit their ailing mother.
“She was supposed to reach Delhi by 1pm. But her flight was diverted mid-air to Sharjah. I rushed to the airport without knowing any of this. Now I can’t contact her,” he said. “She texted our mother from Sharjah but they’ve been told to wait there for now.”
Jatin Sharma, 29, was waiting for his brother’s arrival from New York. “His flight’s been delayed multiple times. There’s very little information from the airline. We’re all in limbo.”
With tensions still simmering in the Middle East, authorities said advisories will be updated as the situation evolves. Passengers are advised to check with their respective airlines before heading to the airport.
