Air India has cancelled all its flights over the Gulf region until further notice, hours after Iran launched a missile attack on the US air base in Doha. It had earlier cancelled one of its Qatar flights scheduled from Cochin.
Several other airlines have also either cancelled, diverted or returned their flights to their origin airports over the tense situation in the Middle East.
Air India Express diverted its Doha-bound flight from Kochi to Muscat and returned its flight, which was scheduled from Kannur. “We have no other flights bound for Qatar,” it said in a statement.
“We are monitoring the situation closely and will take all necessary precautions for the safety and security of our guests and crew, with inputs from the relevant authorities,” it added.
Iran’s military said on Monday it had carried out a “devastating and powerful” missile attack on the Al Udeid US airbase in Qatar, after explosions were heard across the Qatari capital following Tehran’s threat to retaliate for US airstrikes.
Kuwait said it was closing its airspace “until further notice” on Monday after a similar move from Bahrain as Iran attacked a US base in Qatar in retaliation for American strikes in Iran.
Meanwhile, Qatar has strongly condemned the attack, announcing it reserves the right to respond directly in a manner equivalent to the “nature and scale of this brazen aggression”, in line with international law.
The White House and the Defense Department are closely monitoring potential threats to the Al Udeid airbase, a senior White House official said.
