Global travel grinds to halt as tensions rise

The disruption has stranded Indians abroad, and those from abroad in India

- HTC and agencies

For Sukur Ali Shaikh, a fitter from Kolkata travelling abroad for the first time, the dream of a Gulf job ended at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on Sunday morning. He and two companions had received their tickets the previous evening and arrived at the terminal at 10.30 am, unaware that the skies between India and the Gulf had been effectively sealed since the day before.

“We are out of money,” he said. “Even food at the airport is unaffordable. We request someone to either fly us back home.”

Shaikh’s predicament was repeated in terminal after terminal across India on Sunday — the second consecutive day of mass cancellations along a corridor that carries more Indian passengers than any other in the world.

The Gulf airports sit at the crossroads of east-west air travel, funnelling long-haul traffic between Asia and Europe through a tightly scheduled network of connecting flights. When they lose, the consequences ripple far beyond the region.

‘According to a June 2025 report by the International Air Transport Association, the Middle East accounts for 39.2% of all India’s international passenger traffic — 14.9 million travellers in 2024. The UAE alone, at 19.9%, is India’s single largest international aviation market; Mumbai-Dubai and Delhi-Dubai are the two busiest international routes from India by flight count.