Aviation (Commonwealth Union) _ Amidst the rising tension in the Middle East, Air India has announced the suspension of all flights to the regions along with services that connect with the East Coast of North America and Europe. Following missile strikes launched by Iran, global air traffic has been severely affected with the closure of the Qatar and UAE airspace late Monday, impacting hundreds of commercial flights.
The announcement by Air India was released on Tuesday, confirming the shutdown of all operations in Middle Eastern regions, as well as North America’s East Coast and Europe, “until further notice”, citing airspace restrictions as causal to the suspension.
Flights from North America that will be affected have been instructed to return to their points of origin, with the remaining aircraft being rerouted away from the restricted zones.
An Air India spokesperson elaborated on the announcement, requesting cooperation from affected individuals and reiterating that the circumstances were beyond the airline’s control. He assured me that the airline is “vigilantly monitoring” the situation while prioritising passengers and crew.
Disruptions were also faced by Air India Express, with the airline acknowledging flight diversions. A flight from Kochi to Doha was redirected to Muscat, while another outbound flight from Kannur was directed to return to its origin point. The subsidiary of Air India operates 25 flights to Doha each week and runs one-stop services that connect eight Indian cities. No flights have yet been grounded in Qatar. Nevertheless, it’s the services that have been suspended for now while the situation is being monitored.
An Air India Express official has also addressed the situation, citing the closure of the Qatar airspace, expressing regret for the inconvenience caused. He also mentioned that they were consulting with the relevant authorities to make decisions regarding passenger safety.
The closure of the airspace began with Qatar shutting down its skies to commercial aircraft as a safety precaution. Qatar’s actions were promptly followed by the UAE and expanded into a mass shutdown that involved Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.
Flights en route to the cities from several locations in India have been diverted, returned or held on the ground, with flights prepared for departure have been halted indefinitely.
The shutdown has also affected several Indian carriers. IndiGo reported several diversions, including its Delhi and Hyderabad flights to Bahrain and an additional Kochi flight being redirected to Abu Dhabi.
IndiGo has released a statement recommending that its clients check their website regularly to stay updated on the status of their flights. The airline also reassured that steps will be taken to ensure that the flights will prioritise the safety of those on board.
The Indian market is quite dependent on the Gulf airspace, with key airlines such as Qatar Airways, Emirates, and Air India conducting frequent services through the area. The disruption of this crucial transit hub has extensive consequences.
Air India has also confirmed that three of its flights have been immediately affected by the closure of the airspace, with one of them being redirected to Abu Dhabi. Another had to return to India mid-flight, while the third flight was put on hold. Several Indian airports also suspended the boarding of their outbound flights to Doha.
However, with many passengers being requested to stay updated using airline apps and websites, several carriers have started offering rebooking options and even full refunds according to relevant changes in route and flight status.
Doha serves as a crucial transit, despite the relatively low traffic between India and the city. With the massive impact of the suspension of these flights, the aviation industry remains in a state of uncertainty, with ongoing flight cancellations and diversions.
No clear timeline has been set for the reopening of the closed airspace, leaving airlines prepared for the disruptions to carry forward. A senior airline official has spoken about current airline operations, stating that “it is too early to gauge the full scale of the impact”.
As of now, passengers have been encouraged to remain flexible with travel plans, as the situation is assessed and appropriate safety precautions are put into place.
