Kerala’s Gulf-bound flights canceled for third day as airspace remains shut

Kerala’s four international airports are facing a third straight day of Gulf-bound cancellations due to a Gulf airspace shutdown linked to conflict in West Asia. Thiruvananthapuram reported 37 cancellations on Saturday and 26 on Sunday. Cochin recorded 35 cancellations, while Kannur saw six Gulf-bound flights canceled on Sunday. Calicut reported about ten cancellations and later suspended all Gulf flights from noon. Some limited services operated, and passenger assistance desks are active. Authorities advise travelers to verify flight status with airlines before heading to the airport.

Gulf-bound services from Kerala continued to be disrupted for a third consecutive day as airlines curtailed operations in response to a Gulf airspace shutdown amid conflict in West Asia. The cancellations affected all four of the state’s international gateways: Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kannur, and Kozhikode.

At Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, 37 departures scheduled for Saturday and 26 planned for Sunday were canceled. Cochin International Airport recorded 35 cancellations, though a limited number of Gulf services still operated. At Kochi specifically, 18 outbound and seven inbound Gulf-related flights were canceled. Kannur International Airport reported six Gulf-bound cancellations on Sunday, including outbound services to Doha and Fujairah (IndiGo) and inbound flights from Abu Dhabi (IndiGo) and Dubai (Air India Express). Calicut International reported about ten cancellations; despite this, a Saudia service arrived from Riyadh early in the morning before the airport later suspended all flights to Gulf destinations from noon, affecting multiple IndiGo and Air India Express services.

A small number of flights continued to operate on select routes, including services by Oman Air, Saudia, IndiGo, Air Arabia, Etihad, and SpiceJet. However, additional Gulf-bound services scheduled for Sunday remained uncertain as carriers awaited further updates. Passenger assistance desks have been set up across the airports to support affected travelers.

Airport authorities stated that the root cause of the disruption is the shutdown of Gulf airspace. A senior official noted that with the Middle East air network effectively closed, operations cannot resume until formal clearances are communicated by the region. Air India Express, which typically operates around 110 Gulf flights daily, has adopted a wait-and-watch approach.

Passengers planning to travel to or from Gulf destinations have been advised to verify the latest flight status directly with their airlines before heading to the airport.