Indian passengers stranded in Greece airport seek government intervention amid Middle East airspace closure

Indian nationals stranded in Greece airport call for India’s intervention

A flight diversion triggered by Gulf airspace closures has left dozens of Indian passengers including several senior citizens stranded at Athens airport, with travellers describing confusion, exhaustion and a lack of clear communication from the airline.

The passengers were travelling on Qatar Airways flight QR744 from Boston to Doha when the aircraft was diverted to Greece due to the shutdown of Gulf airspace amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. What followed, passengers say, was hours of uncertainty with little clarity on when or how they would be able to continue their journey.

@naralokesh@RamMNK#Qatar airways staff left us in the airport here in #Athens Greece.

Many old people are there and they have booked hotels for a day and told us to book hotels from tomorrow on our own. Whenever the situation becomes normal in Doha they will take us to… pic.twitter.com/6FOmRHKPha — Karthik Chowdary (@KChowdaryyy) February 28, 2026

Taking to X, a user named Karthik Chowdary described the situation inside the airport as distressing. In his post, he alleged that airline staff informed passengers they would be accommodated in hotels for just one night and were then asked to make their own arrangements thereafter. According to him, many elderly passengers were left waiting near exit gates with their luggage and no clear updates.

“If a flight diverts, the airline has a duty to provide accommodation, meals and rebooking, irrespective of the reason,” he wrote, urging the Civil Aviation Ministry to intervene. He added that attempts to book alternative flights had failed as those services were also being cancelled amid the widening airspace restrictions.

Screenshots shared online of conversations with Qatar Airways customer care further highlight the confusion. In the messages, airline representatives told passengers that onward travel from Doha would be scheduled only after airspace reopened, adding that confirmations were not possible at the moment due to the evolving situation. Passengers were informed that updates would be posted on the airline’s website “in real time” and asked to wait.

The ordeal of those stuck in Athens comes as flight operations across the region face unprecedented disruption. With large sections of airspace over Iran and parts of the Middle East closed, airlines worldwide have been forced to cancel, divert or delay services at short notice.

More than 400 flights cancelled: Civil aviation ministry 

According to data released by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, as many as 410 domestic flights were cancelled on February 28, with another 444 cancellations expected on March 1. The impact has spilled over into international travel as well.

Air India has cancelled 28 international flights scheduled for March 1, affecting key long-haul routes from Delhi, Mumbai and Amritsar to destinations including London, New York, Newark, Chicago, Vienna and Frankfurt. Many of these services usually pass through Middle Eastern airspace that is currently restricted.