British Airways extends Middle East flight cancellations amid regional uncertainty; details here

British Airways has announced further cancellations of flights to and from several Middle East destinations due to ongoing uncertainty and airspace instability in the region as per their latest customer update on TuesdaypictwittercomE3YDjtCeORmdash British Airways British_Airways November 14 2025The airline has temporarily reduced its flying schedule cancelling all services to and from Amman Bahrain Doha Dubai and Tel Aviv until later this month Flights to and from Abu Dhabi remain suspended until later this year The carrier stated it is keeping the situation under constant review and is in touch with affected customers to offer optionsLimited seats are available on repatriation flights from Oman Muscat to London Heathrow on March 11 and 12 for customers with existing bookings Those who in line with FCDO guidance judge they can safely make their own way to Muscat should contact British Airways on 44 203 467 3854 to book onto one of these servicesThe airline is also supporting customers believed to still be in the UAE with options for travel to the UK and has asked those whove made alternative arrangements to inform them For the evolving situation passengers are directed to bacomtravelnews and information on consumer rights is at bacomhelpmIn the update British Airways cautioned customers to be alert to potential scams and only rely on official channels for updatesmdashnever click suspicious links or share personal or payment detailsPassengers with bookings via Mumbai or other Indian hubs to these routes are advised to check their status directly with the airline The disruptions stem from continuing developments in West Asia impacting travel plans for manyWest Asia conflict Air India hikes fuel surcharge on domestic and international flightsAir India group on Tuesday announced a phased increase in fuel surcharge on its domestic and international routes citing a ldquosteep rise in jet fuel pricesrdquo due to geopolitical tensions in the Gulf regionThe revised surcharges will be implemented in three phases covering travel on all flights including those operated by Air India ExpressIn Phase 1 applicable for all new bookings from 1201 am Indian Standard Time IST on Thursday the fuel surcharge will beRs 399 for domestic flightsRs 399 for SAARC countriesUSD 10 for West AsiaMiddle EastUSD 60 for Southeast AsiaUSD 90 for AfricaPhase 2 will see surcharges of USD 125 for Europe and USD 200 each for North America and AustralialdquoPhase 3 will apply to Far East markets including Hong Kong Japan and South Korea and will be announced in due courserdquo the airline addedAir India clarified that tickets issued before the above times will not attract the new surcharge unless customers request date or itinerary changes that require fare recalculationThe airline said it ldquoregrets the need to increase fuel surcharges in this manner but emphasises that it is necessitated by factors outside its controlrdquoldquoWithout such surcharges some flights may not be able to cover operating costs and could face cancellations Air India will review these surcharges periodically and make adjustments as requiredrdquo it addedSince early March 2026 aviation turbine fuel ATF which makes up nearly 40 per cent of an airlinersquos operating costs has seen a sharp price rise due to supply interruptionsIn India this pressure is further compounded by high excise duty and VAT on ATF in major metros like Delhi and Mumbai significantly impacting operating costs said Air IndiaWith IANS inputs