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Amid escalating tensions in West Asia, Air India announced on Tuesday it will progressively resume flights to the region starting from Tuesday as airspaces gradually reopen in certain parts of the Middle East.
The airlines also said that flight operations to and from Europe will also resume today. In a statement, Air India spokesperson said, "As airspaces gradually reopen in certain parts of the Middle East, Air India will progressively resume flights to the region starting today, with most operations to and from the Middle East resuming from 25 June. Flights to and from Europe, previously cancelled, are also being progressively reinstated from today, while services to and from the East Coast of the US and Canada will resume at the earliest opportunity. Some flights may experience delays or cancellations due to consequential impacts and extended re-routings/flight times, but we are committed to minimising disruptions and restoring our schedule integrity. Air India will continue to avoid airspaces assessed as unsafe at any given time" The flight disruptions follow a major escalation on Monday after Iran reportedly launched multiple missiles targeting US military installations in Qatar and Iraq, including Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar--the largest US military installation in the region, according to a CNN report. The attacks are believed to be a retaliatory move by Iran following US airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities -- Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow -- in the early hours of Sunday. Two officials familiar with the situation confirmed to CNN that the US is tracking multiple missiles launched from Iran. A White House official said that US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Caine are currently in the Situation Room, closely monitoring the unfolding events. Earlier, Iran's state TV reported that Iran had begun an operation against a US base in Qatar. Samaa TV, citing Iranian state TV, dubbed this operation against US bases in the region as 'Operation Basharat al-Fath'. According to CNN, US personnel at the embassies in Qatar and Bahrain are in "duck and cover" as Iran launches retaliatory missiles toward Qatar and Iraq. The Qatari foreign ministry wrote on X that its government had temporarily shut down its airspace amid the heightened tensions. The move follows Iran's announcement of retaliation against the United States, which has heightened security concerns across the Gulf region. The US Embassy in Doha has also issued alerts to its citizens, advising them to remain in secure shelters until further notice. (ANI)
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