Dhaka, March 15 -- IndiGo has canceled 97 flights to Middle East destinations as airspace restrictions tightened around Dubai and other Gulf airports. The budget carrier, India's largest by domestic market share, operates extensive connections from Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha, making the cancellations a significant blow to India-Gulf traffic.

Air India announced plans to operate 80 services on affected routes, though no start date has been confirmed and no specific routes have been identified. The carrier's wide-body fleet provides operational flexibility that IndiGo's all-narrow-body operation lacks.

Several international carriers have also suspended services. Lufthansa halted flights to Dubai, Abu Dhabi,...