India, March 12 -- The Ministry of Civil Aviation on Thursday said it is closely monitoring the evolving situation in West Asia and its impact on air connectivity between India and several destinations in the region, as airlines begin restoring some operations affected by US, Israel strike on Iran.

Flights to and from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, have restarted from March 12, marking a key step in restoring vital air connectivity between India and the Gulf, according to a press release.

On the first day of operations, Air India and IndiGo operated three services to Mumbai, while Air India Express ran one service to Calicut, reflecting a phased resumption strategy.

Between February 28 and March 11, over 1.5 lakh passengers (1,50,457) travelled...