Air India reroutes flights amid Middle East airspace closures

Amid heightened geopolitical tensions in the Middle East following missile exchanges and regional airspace closures, the Air India Group has revamped its flight operations. The carrier now avoids Iranian, Iraqi, and Israeli airspace, with plans to bypass sections of Gulf airspace as a proactive safety measure. Consequently, flights to Gulf destinations such as the UAE, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait now follow longer, fuel-intensive routes, potentially impacting schedules, and airfare. Air India Express has cancelled several services, partly due to low passenger numbers and slot constraints amid the detours. A sharp drop in bookings, around 20 %, has been observed since the June 12 Ahmedabad crash, prompting an 8–15 % fall in fares on some routes. The airline assures travellers that safety remains paramount, liaising with security advisors to monitor the volatile situation and will update impacted passengers proactively.