Flight services get disrupted in the Middle East due to Israel-Iran conflict

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International flight services have been disrupted in the Middle East after various countries shut their airspace due to the Israel–Iran conflict. Services to many Indian sectors, including Kerala, were either delayed or cancelled without any warning. Air India Express from Kochi to Sharjah, scheduled at 2 am this morning, was cancelled. The passengers who had booked tickets on this flight got stuck in Kochi, unsure of what to do. Some had to resume their jobs after the holidays, while others had an expired visa. Those who were also here for medical treatment were among the passengers stuck at Kochi. Elderly people and families with little children struggled to manage the situation at the airport.
Air Indian Express had cancelled its two services from Dubai to Kozhikode on Monday. Besides, the services to Kochi, Lucknow, Mangaluru and Delhi sectors were either delayed or cancelled. The last-minute cancellation of Air India Express from Sharjah to Kannur and from Kannur to Dubai and Sharjah on Monday had caused chaos at the airports. IndiGo's scheduled flight from Abu Dhabi to Kannur was also delayed. Meanwhile, Etihad and Air Arabia ran their services in these sectors as usual without any delays. Hundreds of passengers travelling to multiple locations get affected when the service to a single sector gets disrupted.
Meanwhile, the airline companies have been urging the passengers to reschedule their journeys in the notes sent to them, expressing regret over the inconvenience caused by airspace closures by various countries. Indian airline companies fly over Omani airspace after Pakistan closed its airspace to India following the Pahalgham attacks. Various airline companies say that services often get delayed as they have to wait long hours for Oman's approval to use their extremely busy airspace.
The private and foreign airline companies operating services in various Indian sectors urged the passengers to contact the airline staff before reaching the airport, as there could be delays or cancellations. Meanwhile, passengers have been complaining that they must pay an additional amount when forced to cancel their tickets and book new ones. People living in the Middle East are worried about the current crisis in the airline industry as the schools in these countries will be closed for the annual holidays in just ten days.