CHENNAI: Escalating tensions in West Asia disrupted international flight operations at Chennai Airport on Monday, with at least 20 flights delayed and two SriLankan Airlines services cancelled, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded and facing long waits, the disruption was caused by intermittent airspace closures over parts of the Gulf region, including Bahrain and Kuwait, following renewed security concerns.
A total of 20 international flights — comprising 10 arrivals and 10 departures — were delayed by 30 minutes to three hours, affecting services to and from Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Muscat, London and Singapore.
Airport sources said airlines operating through West Asian air corridors were forced to revise their schedules as airspace over Bahrain and Kuwait was being intermittently closed due to the prevailing security situation.
The restrictions affected not only flights originating from Gulf destinations such as Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Bahrain, Kuwait and Sharjah but also international services from other countries that pass through the affected airspace before reaching Chennai. As a result, several inbound flights from Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Bahrain, Muscat, London and Singapore arrived behind schedule, leading to corresponding delays in outbound services from Chennai.
Apart from the delays, two SriLankan Airlines flights operating on the Colombo-Chennai and Chennai-Colombo routes were cancelled. The affected services included the flight scheduled to arrive in Chennai from Colombo at 3 pm and the return flight scheduled to depart for Colombo at 4 pm. Passengers booked on these flights were advised to contact the airline regarding rescheduling and further travel arrangements.
The delays and cancellations caused considerable inconvenience to passengers waiting at Chennai Airport. Passengers alleged that they did not receive timely information regarding the disruptions and claimed there were no proper announcements inside the terminal regarding revised departure or arrival timings.
Under normal circumstances, airlines inform passengers in advance about flight delays or cancellations, while Chennai Airport authorities also issue updates through their official social media channels. Travellers usually rely on these updates before contacting their respective airlines to reschedule their journeys. However, passengers said no such updates were available for several of the affected services, leaving many waiting at the airport for hours without clarity on their flight status. Airport authorities are continuing to monitor the situation, while airlines are expected to revise schedules depending on developments in West Asia and the reopening of affected airspace.