New Delhi: Air India announced on Monday that it has ceased all operations in the Middle East with immediate effect following the missile attack at a US airbase in Qatar by Iran. The airline added that its operations from the East Coast of North America and Europe is also being stopped until further notice.
The Tata-owned airline also announced that India-bound flights from North America are being diverted back to their respective origins, and others are being diverted back to India or rerouted away from the closed airspaces.
“We request the understanding of all passengers who may be affected by this disruption that’s beyond an airline’s control. Air India is in continuous consultation with its external security advisors and is vigilantly monitoring the evolving situation. We will keep our passengers informed of any updates. The safety and security of our passengers and staff remain our number one priority,” an Air India Spokesperson said.
The airline made the announcement shortly after Iran on Monday carried out a “devastating and powerful” missile attack on the Al Udeid US airbase in Qatar in retaliation against the weekend bombing of underground nuclear sites by US bombers. Explosions were also heard across the Qatari capital, news agency Reuters reported, citing a Western diplomat in the Gulf Arab state.
The number of missiles used in the operation was “equal to the number of bombs the United States used in its assault on Iran’s nuclear facilities”, Iranian Armed Forces said, shortly after firing six ballistic missiles at its Middle Eastern neighbour.
Tehran’s attack at the Al-Udaid Airbase – home to the largest US military facility in the Middle East – is its first direct attack at US military installation in the Middle East.
In a statement, Iranian Armed Forces said that the attack was in response to the “blatant military aggression by the criminal regime of the United States against the peaceful nuclear facilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran”. It is a clear violation of international law,” it said.
The missile strike on the Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar is part of Operation Basharat al-Fath (enunciation of Victory), it added.
Al Udeid Air Base is home to the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, which includes “airlift, aerial refueling intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, and aeromedical evacuation assets,” AFP reports.
The attack came two days after US dropped 30,000-pound bunker-busters on Iranian underground nuclear sites at the weekend, joining Israel’s air war against Tehran.
