Air travel in and around West Asia continues to face disruptions due to growing geopolitical tensions in the region, leading to airspace shutdowns and changes in flight schedules. This has significantly impacted air travel in India as well, prompting the government and airline companies to act swiftly to manage passenger traffic, increase services, and avoid congestion at airports.
West Asia Airspace Tensions Disrupt Air Travel
The Muscat International Airport in Oman has limited the services of the private jet due to the crisis management in the country. The reports state that the airport officials requested the charter operators not to plan further flights in the meantime. This move has been made so as to focus on government and business flights and make sure that the airport does not exceed safe capacity limits.
The authorities reported that the flights currently depend on the accepted seasonal scheduled flights at the Muscat International Airport due to the reasons of controlling the congestion and ensuring that the airport operations run smoothly. The prohibition is issued following the fact that several states in West Asia are facing airspace disturbances due to the current conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.
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Indian Airlines To Operate 50 Flights To Manage Passenger Traffic
According to Times Now, Indian airlines were intending to make approximately 50 inbound flights between West Asia and India, depending upon the operational viability and current situation. The airline companies in India, taking this initiative include Air India, Air India Express, IndiGo, SpiceJet and Akasa Air.
Air India and Air India Express have also recently declared a provisional flight schedule for March 9, according to which the two airlines will fly 24 scheduled flights to Jeddah and Muscat. To supplement this, they will operate 32 ad-hoc flights across the various destinations in the United Arab Emirates so as to assist in the transportation of passengers who have been stranded as a result of cancellations and rerouted flights.
According to the authorities, these new flights will be based on the availability of slots, regulatory approvals, and the current operational conditions. The cancellation has started to occur in large volumes. It is reported that on Sunday, 279 foreign flights to be carried by Indian airlines were cancelled.
The current situation is now being closely monitored by airports and aviation authorities in India. Airlines are also constantly evaluating the situation on the ground in airports around the area and can increase the number of flights when required.
To provide more credence to the crisis-affected passengers, Air India also declared that it would fly 78 new international flights on nine destinations between March 10 and March 18, which would increase thousands of seats on major international routes.
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The government has also indicated that airfare is being closely checked so that during the disruption, the prices of tickets are not high.
Cover Image Courtesy: airindia/website
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Why are flights between India and West Asia being disrupted?
Flights are facing disruption due to geopolitical tensions and airspace restrictions in parts of West Asia, forcing airlines to cancel or reroute several services.
Which Indian airlines are operating flights during the disruption?
Airlines including Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet, Akasa Air, and Air India Express are adjusting schedules and operating additional flights where possible.
How many flights were cancelled during the disruption?
Reports indicate that around 279 international flights operated by Indian airlines were cancelled due to the airspace situation.