Middle East-bound flights resume from Thiruvananthapuram

Thiruvananthapuram/ Kochi | Flights to the Middle East resumed early Tuesday morning from Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, following the reopening of airspace in the region after a brief closure, according to airport sources.

Emirates, Etihad Airways, and Air Arabia were among the first to resume operations.

Flights bound for Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah operated by the three carriers landed and departed in the early hours without disruption, airport sources said.

However, several scheduled services were cancelled earlier in the morning as the situation stabilised, they said.

Affected services included Air India Express flights to Muscat, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Dammam, and Dubai.

Qatar Airways' Doha-bound flight, Kuwait Airways' service to Kuwait, and IndiGo's flight to Sharjah were also cancelled, they said.

To manage the passenger backlog and assist those affected, airport authorities have set up additional seating arrangements and service counters at Terminal 2.

Extra staff have been deployed to support passenger handling and provide on-ground assistance, they added.

Several flights were delayed, cancelled or diverted at Cochin International Airport also late Monday night, after the closure of Qatar's airspace amid the rising tensions in the West Asia, authorities added.

As per the CIAL advisory issued at 3.00 am, the operation of at least 17 flights was affected due to the situation.