Several flights to and from West Asia cancelled, Ramzan Umra pilgrims from Gujarat stranded in Jeddah

Gujarat–West Asia flights cancelled after regional airspace closures, leaving Ramzan Umrah pilgrims stranded in Jeddah and passengers stuck in Ahmedabad, Surat.

Authorities have advised passengers to check flight status before travelling.

Several flights between Gujarat and West Asia were cancelled following airspace closures, disrupting services from Ahmedabad and Surat and leaving Ramzan Umrah pilgrims stranded in Jeddah. (Representative image)

By: Express News Service

3 min readMar 1, 2026 09:28 AM IST First published on: Mar 1, 2026 at 09:28 AM IST

Several flights from Ahmedabad and Surat to the Middle East were cancelled on Saturday after the US-Israel attack on Iran, leaving passengers stranded at the airports and many others to cancel their travel plans.

Air India Express and Indigo daily flights between Surat and Dubai were cancelled on Saturday and Sunday, at least five flights (two arrivals and three departures) from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport to countries in the Middle East also stood cancelled on Saturday.

The arriving flights that were cancelled included Etihad Airways EY 240 from Abu Dhabi (UAE) and a Spice Jet SG 016 from Dubai (UAE). The three cancelled flights from Ahmedabad were: IndiGo flight 6E 1431 to Abu Dhabi (UAE), IndiGo flight 6E 1243 to Kuwait City (Kuwait), and Etihad Airways EY 241 to Abu Dhabi (UAE).

These airlines set up help desks at Terminal T-2 of the airport. However, since all of the flights were at 9 pm or later according to Indian Standard Time (IST), only a few passengers had actually reached the airport.
Similarly, many people planning to fly to Dubai from Surat have had to postpone their journey, learning about the cancellations at the last moment.

Sources said around 260 passengers fly from Surat to Dubai daily on Air India Express and Indigo flights, with the same number returning.

Surat International Airport communication in-charge Virendra Solanki said, “Dubai airspace is closed, so there are no flights to and from Surat and Dubai on Saturday and Sunday. We are waiting for an update for Monday flights.”

The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad had also issued an advisory to the passengers to check the latest flight status with their respective airlines before travelling.

“Due to temporary closures and restrictions affecting multiple international airspaces in West Asia, certain international flights may experience delays, rerouting or cancellations. Passengers are advised to check the latest flight status with their respective airlines before traveling to the airport and plan their journey accordingly,” the advisory stated.

Pilgrims for Ramzan Umra stranded in Jeddah

Many members of the Muslim community who were on pilgrimage to Mecca and Madina in the holy month of Ramzan are stranded at various airports, including Jeddah.

“We request the Indian government authorities to facilitate their safe return,” said one of the members of the Karoliwala family from Jamalpur whose seven family members are stuck at Jeddah airport on Saturday.

Jamalpur Khadia Congress MLA Imran Khedawala too appealed to the government to facilitate their return. “I learnt that a lot of people from Ahmedabad who had gone for Ramzan Umra are stuck at the Jeddah airport. There are people from other states too. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Gujarat today so I request him to ask the External Affairs ministry and make arrangements for their safe return,” Khedawala said.