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Emirates flights from Delhi, Chennai and Bangalore return to India due to airspace closure
Dubai's flagship carrier said it would reschedule these flights when possible, and passengers will be accommodated in hotels until they are rescheduled
- PUBLISHED: Tue 3 Mar 2026, 2:43 PM
[Editor's Note: Follow Khaleej Times live blog amid Israeli, US strikes on Iran for the latest regional developments.]
Emirates airline on Tuesday said its Dubai-bound flights from Delhi, Chennai and Bangalore returned to India on Monday due to airspace closure.
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A spokesperson of Dubai’s flagship carrier said it would reschedule these flights at a later date when possible.
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“Emirates can confirm that flights originating in Delhi, Chennai, and Bangalore, and heading to Dubai on the evening of March 2, returned to origin shortly after take-off, in line with air traffic control instructions. Emirates will reschedule these flights when possible, and passengers will be accommodated in hotels until they are rescheduled,” said the spokesperson.
The UAE airspace remained closed on Tuesday for commercial scheduled flights due to the ongoing military conflict in the region.
Currently, only special flights are allowed to operate from the UAE in order to repatriate passengers stranded in the country since Saturday. All local carriers Emirates, Etihad, flydubai, and Air Arabia are operating a limited number of flights to some Asian, European and other countries.
Flightradar data showed an Air Arabia flight G9426 departed from Sharjah International Airport for Cochin, India, on Tuesday afternoon.
“Emirates apologises for any inconvenience, but the safety and security of our passengers and crew is of the utmost importance and won’t be compromised,” said an Emirates spokesperson.
Due to an airspace closures and restrictions in the Gulf and Middle East countries, nearly 13,000 flights have been cancelled since the military conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran broke out on Saturday.
