The escalating Israel-Iran conflict, intensified by the United States’ direct involvement, has led to major global travel disruptions, particularly in the Gulf region. Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered unprecedented airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear and military facilities, prompting Iran to retaliate on Monday with a missile attack targeting U.S. forces at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

In anticipation of the strike, Qatar closed its airspace, and both U.S. and U.K. embassies issued shelter-in-place advisories for their citizens in the country.

Reacting swiftly to the volatile situation, Air India Express took precautionary steps:

  • A Doha-bound flight from Kochi was diverted to Muscat

  • A flight from Kannur to Qatar was recalled mid-journey

    • The airline, which operates 25 weekly flights to Doha from cities including Kannur, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangaluru, Thiruvananthapuram, and Tiruchchirappalli, stated that no aircraft are currently on the ground in Qatar.

    “We are closely monitoring the evolving situation and are prioritising the safety of passengers and crew,” said an Air India Express spokesperson, urging flyers to update contact details for real-time updates and check their flight status via the official website or Tia, the airline’s virtual assistant.

    As the conflict escalates, airports and airspace closures across the Middle East—particularly in Qatar and the UAE—have led to widespread flight cancellations and rerouting.