India, June 14 -- With Israel launching air strikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites early Friday, airspace over Iran was shut down temporarily, disrupting international flight movement, including those bound for India. Dozens of flights were also delayed, diverted, or cancelled, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport and elsewhere.

Air India confirmed it had delayed or diverted several flights in view of passenger safety. "Due to the emerging situation in Iran, several of our flights were either delayed or returned to their origin after take-off," the airline said in a statement.

At IGI's Terminal 3, confusion and anxiety played out in long waits, unanswered questions, and moun...