Travel chaos deepened at Amritsar’s Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport on Sunday, as a further ten international flights were axed following the dramatic escalation of conflict in the Middle East. The cancellations come in the wake of joint military strikes by the US and Israel on Iran, which have effectively padlocked key sections of regional airspace.
The disruption has hit several major carriers. According to an airport advisory, Qatar Airways was forced to scrap its Doha-Amritsar return service, while Air India Express saw four of its flights — connecting Amritsar with Dubai and Sharjah — pulled from the schedule. Budget carriers SpiceJet and IndiGo also reported two cancellations each on their respective Middle Eastern routes.
This follows a similarly turbulent Saturday, where several flights to the Gulf were either delayed or diverted as the geopolitical situation deteriorated.
"In continuation of yesterday’s advisory and due to ongoing airspace restrictions... these flights have been cancelled," the airport authorities confirmed in a statement. They have urged passengers to keep a close eye on their airline's latest updates regarding refunds or rebooking options, adding that the "safety, security, and convenience of passengers remains our top priority."
The grounding of flights coincides with a massive shift in the regional landscape. On Saturday, the United States and Israel launched a series of coordinated strikes across Iran. US President Donald Trump has since called on the Iranian people to "seize control of their destiny" and challenge the Islamic leadership that has held power since 1979.
The gravity of the situation was underscored early on Sunday morning, when Iranian state media confirmed that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed during the joint assault. With tensions at breaking point and airspace likely to remain restricted for the foreseeable future, travellers are being warned to expect continued volatility in flight schedules.
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