Parliament Question: Impact of West Asian Conflict on Indian Air Services

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. : 6345 ( TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 2nd April 2026 ) IMPACT OF WEST ASIAN CONFLICT ON INDIAN AIR SERVICES 6345. SHRI VIJAYAKUMAR ALIAS VIJAY VASANTH Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION be pleased to state:- (a) whether the Government has assessed the impact of ongoing conflicts in West Asia on Indian flight operations over affected airspaces including the Strait of Hormuz and adjoining regions and if so, the details thereof; (b) whether Indian carriers have rerouted flights to avoid airspace over Iran, Iraq and surrounding conflict zones and if so, the details of the operational and financial implications thereof; (c) whether it is true that flight durations and fuel costs for long-haul routes to Europe and North America have increased due to mandatory diversions and if so, the estimated additional burden on airlines; (d) whether airfare for passengers travelling to Gulf countries has increased following airspace restrictions and if so, the details thereof along with the measures taken to prevent unreasonable fare escalation; and (e) whether the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued fresh safety advisories to airlines in view of missile and drone threats in West Asian air corridors and if so, the details thereof? ANSWER Minister of State in the Ministry of CIVIL AVIATION (Shri Murlidhar Mohol) (a) to (e): Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued multiple advisories to address and ensure the safety of passengers, crew, and aircraft evolving from the risks arising from the West Asia conflict. These advisories provide operational guidance on affected airspace, including NOTAM, identification of high-risk areas, FIR boundaries, and impacted countries, enabling operators to plan safe routing after conducting comprehensive Safety Risk Assessments. Due to prevailing airspace restrictions, flights to Europe and North America are operating on longer alternate routes, leading to increased flight durations and higher fuel consumption. This has resulted in additional operational costs for airlines, the extent of which depend upon specific route, duration of diversion, and prevailing fuel prices. Further, as informed byIndian carriers, they are incurring significant revenue losses due to the ongoing crisis. Airlines are, however, taking necessary measures to mitigate the impact while ensuring continuity of operations. Airfares are market-driven, and under Rule 135(1) of the Aircraft Rules, 1937, airlines are free to fix tariffs based on factors such as operational costs, service characteristics, prevailing tariffs, demand, seasonality, prevailing international scenarios and other market forces. The airline fare system operates through multiple levels (fare buckets), where prices rise as lower fare categories are sold out with increasing demand. The DGCA's Tariff Monitoring Unit (TMU) monitors to ensure that airlines adhere to their established tariffs. ******