Inside the expansive Terminal 2 of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on Sunday morning, typically the week’s busiest travel window, an unusual silence replaced the familiar buzz of international departures. Instead of the steady flow of announcements and hurried footsteps, an uneasy calm lingered beneath the bright flight display screens. Travellers stared helplessly as flashing red notices repeatedly declared their flights “Cancelled.” Families, business passengers, and tourists stood frozen with luggage in hand, trying to process the abrupt disruption. What should have been a routine day of global connections turned into hours of uncertainty, confusion, and growing anxiety within the airport’s vast departure halls.
For the second straight day, intensifying hostilities in the Middle East severely disrupted India’s westbound flight routes. After coordinated military strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran, several Gulf nations shut their airspace, bringing numerous international operations to a halt. Nearly 854 flights to and from Indian cities were called off as airlines scrambled to reassess routes and passenger safety. However, beyond the official figures lies a deeper human cost — missed competitions, postponed pilgrimages, cancelled reunions, and disrupted livelihoods. For hundreds of travellers, the geopolitical crisis translated into personal heartbreak and abruptly suspended dreams.
Near the Level P10 departure gates, nine young athletes stood quietly, absorbing the shock of their cancelled journey. They had travelled from various Indian states to Mumbai, eager to fly to Munich and represent the country at the European Ice Stock Championship. Their connecting flight via Abu Dhabi, operated by Etihad Airways, was cancelled after Abu Dhabi emerged as one of the worst-affected transit hubs. These athletes, accustomed to practising on improvised cement surfaces in tropical climates, had trained rigorously for over a year. Their long-cherished ambition to compete on professional European ice rinks now seemed painfully distant.
Among them was Pragati Hude, winner of the 14th Italian Ice Stock World Championship in 2022, holding a newly purchased Indian flag that she had hoped to wave proudly in Germany. Fighting back disappointment, she shared that months of preparation and a national-level victory in Kashmir had led to this opportunity. Another teammate, Nisarga Gawli from Raigad, expressed similar sorrow but resolved to try again next year. Chief coach Irfan Aziz Bota remarked that conflict spares no one, noting that tickets had been secured weeks earlier. Yet despite meticulous planning, their international campaign ended before it could begin.
A short distance away, beneath the airport’s distinctive peacock-feather pillars, another group faced its own distress. Pilgrims from Lucknow scheduled to travel to Jeddah for Umrah remained stranded for over a day. Many elderly travellers, dressed in simple pilgrimage attire, sat patiently while awaiting updates. For them, the journey represented years of savings and spiritual anticipation. Baby, a resident of Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh, said she had arrived in Mumbai only to learn her flight would not depart. Without access to mobile contacts, she waited anxiously. Another pilgrim, Rukman Ali from Sitapur, remained hopeful that services would soon resume.
The disruption also triggered a dramatic surge in fares for the few operational routes. With key transit hubs like Dubai and Abu Dhabi temporarily closed, non-stop services to Europe and North America became scarce and costly. One-way tickets from Mumbai to London reportedly climbed to nearly ₹1.40 lakh, as airlines sought longer detours over alternative corridors, increasing fuel expenses and travel duration. Indian carriers suspended multiple services to Gulf destinations and Western countries. Air India cancelled roughly 50 westbound flights over two days, while SpiceJet halted around 33 services to Middle Eastern cities amid the escalating crisis.
As India’s aviation regulator issued advisories instructing operators to avoid conflict-affected airspace, airport terminals effectively turned into waiting zones for stranded passengers. Thousands of Indians transiting through Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, and other Gulf airports were also left in limbo. Reports indicated that a group of Indian students travelling to Sharjah was diverted mid-flight to Karachi due to airspace restrictions, with claims that immigration authorities temporarily held their passports. For many travellers, the distant geopolitical turmoil had suddenly become a personal ordeal, transforming routine journeys into prolonged uncertainty.