Indian airlines are facing a new operational crisis as several Middle Eastern countries have partially or fully closed their airspace due to ongoing regional conflict. The closures have disrupted international routes, particularly flights to Europe and North America, which were already rerouted after Pakistan shut its airspace to Indian carriers last year.

According to aviation data, Air India and IndiGo, India’s largest international carriers, were unable to operate about 64 percent of their scheduled flights to the Middle East, Europe, and North America over the past ten days. HSBC reported that the geopolitical tension in the Middle East is expected to raise operating costs and reduce profitability for Indian airlines, estimating that a seven-day suspension in affected regions could cut annual profits by around 1.2 percent.

IndiGo continues to face difficulties despite resuming some routes, as it relies on six Boeing aircraft leased from North Atlantic Airways, registered in Norway and subject to EU safety directives. European authorities have advised avoiding the airspace of Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia, further complicating IndiGo’s operations.