West Asia Crisis: Global Aviation Sector Hit Hard

The escalating tensions in West Asia, driven by the ongoing conflicts involving Iran, Israel, and the U.S., have dealt a severe blow to the global aviation industry. To date, more than 23,000 flight services have been cancelled worldwide, resulting in a staggering loss of over $1 billion (approx. ₹9,165 crore) for airline companies. The instability has forced major changes in flight paths and schedules across the globe.

Indian airline companies, which rely heavily on Gulf routes for passenger traffic, have been significantly affected since the onset of the conflict. According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, 1,221 Indian flights were cancelled by early March. Operations to key destinations such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah (UAE), Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam (Saudi Arabia), Muscat (Oman), and Tel Aviv (Israel) have seen daily disruptions. Air India is currently operating a very limited number of special flights from Dubai and Jeddah to repatriate stranded passengers.

IndiGo, India’s largest carrier by fleet size, has faced the most significant impact, especially on its Gulf routes where it typically operates 65 trips daily. Between February 28 and March 3, IndiGo cancelled over 500 flights to West Asia and other international destinations, with 162 cancellations occurring on March 3 alone. Similarly, Air India Express suspended its entire international network to the Gulf—including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE—until March 1. SpiceJet has also joined other carriers in cancelling its services to the UAE and various Gulf cities.