Indian business travellers breathed a sigh of relief on 18 March 2026 when Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) lifted the 72-hour suspension that had halted most inbound traffic from India amid regional security tensions. Within hours of the notice, Air India and its low-cost subsidiary Air India Express announced that they would operate a combined 48 flights to and from West Asian destinations on 19 March, including 16 fully-scheduled rotations and 32 additional recovery services to clear the backlog of stranded passengers.
The suspension, imposed late on 15 March after missile activity near the Strait of Hormuz, had disrupted cargo flows and forced Indian companies with Gulf operations to activate contingency plans. According to airline officials, more than 8,000 passengers were affected, many of them small- and medium-enterprise (SME) owners who rely on the Dubai hub for onward connections to Africa and Europe.
Amid the rush to rebook flights and adjust itineraries, travellers often discover that their visa paperwork needs last-minute tweaks. VisaHQ can streamline this process by securing fresh UAE business visas, arranging extensions or renewals, and providing step-by-step guidance through its India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/), allowing executives to focus on their meetings while experts handle the formalities.
![Indian carriers resume Dubai and West Asia operations as Dubai re-opens to scheduled traffic]()
Wednesday’s green light allows carriers to restore the lucrative Mumbai-Dubai-Mumbai shuttle and relaunch feeder services from Kochi, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram that funnel Kerala’s expatriate workforce to the Gulf. IndiGo, which carries the largest share of Indian point-to-point traffic to the UAE, confirmed on X that flights to Dubai resumed at 16:00 local time on 18 March, with a rolling plan to ramp up frequencies once air-traffic slot coordination stabilises. Emerging carrier Akasa Air said it would conduct its own risk assessment but expects to restart select West Asia services over the weekend.
Beyond immediate passenger convenience, the quick reopening averts a spike in air-freight rates on the India–Gulf lane, a corridor critical for perishable exports such as mangoes, seafood and pharmaceuticals. Logistics analysts noted that even a week-long closure would have forced shippers to re-route via Muscat or Doha, adding up to 12 hours to transit times and escalating costs by 15-20 percent.
Travel-management companies (TMCs) advise corporates to maintain flexible itineraries through March as insurers and charter operators continue to monitor the regional security picture. Companies with high-value cargo or time-sensitive personnel movements are reviewing dual-hub strategies that pair Dubai with alternative gateways like Abu Dhabi and Doha to mitigate future disruption.
For Indian passport holders, visa validity and entry-permit rules for the UAE remain unchanged. However, immigration advisers recommend checking updated airline advisories regarding mandatory re-confirmation of tickets issued during the suspension window. The Ministry of External Affairs has not issued a new travel advisory but is "closely watching" developments, a senior official told Hindustan Times.
The suspension, imposed late on 15 March after missile activity near the Strait of Hormuz, had disrupted cargo flows and forced Indian companies with Gulf operations to activate contingency plans. According to airline officials, more than 8,000 passengers were affected, many of them small- and medium-enterprise (SME) owners who rely on the Dubai hub for onward connections to Africa and Europe.
Amid the rush to rebook flights and adjust itineraries, travellers often discover that their visa paperwork needs last-minute tweaks. VisaHQ can streamline this process by securing fresh UAE business visas, arranging extensions or renewals, and providing step-by-step guidance through its India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/), allowing executives to focus on their meetings while experts handle the formalities.
Wednesday’s green light allows carriers to restore the lucrative Mumbai-Dubai-Mumbai shuttle and relaunch feeder services from Kochi, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram that funnel Kerala’s expatriate workforce to the Gulf. IndiGo, which carries the largest share of Indian point-to-point traffic to the UAE, confirmed on X that flights to Dubai resumed at 16:00 local time on 18 March, with a rolling plan to ramp up frequencies once air-traffic slot coordination stabilises. Emerging carrier Akasa Air said it would conduct its own risk assessment but expects to restart select West Asia services over the weekend.
Beyond immediate passenger convenience, the quick reopening averts a spike in air-freight rates on the India–Gulf lane, a corridor critical for perishable exports such as mangoes, seafood and pharmaceuticals. Logistics analysts noted that even a week-long closure would have forced shippers to re-route via Muscat or Doha, adding up to 12 hours to transit times and escalating costs by 15-20 percent.
Travel-management companies (TMCs) advise corporates to maintain flexible itineraries through March as insurers and charter operators continue to monitor the regional security picture. Companies with high-value cargo or time-sensitive personnel movements are reviewing dual-hub strategies that pair Dubai with alternative gateways like Abu Dhabi and Doha to mitigate future disruption.
For Indian passport holders, visa validity and entry-permit rules for the UAE remain unchanged. However, immigration advisers recommend checking updated airline advisories regarding mandatory re-confirmation of tickets issued during the suspension window. The Ministry of External Affairs has not issued a new travel advisory but is "closely watching" developments, a senior official told Hindustan Times.
