Tata Group-backed airline Air India has issued a travel advisory after airspaces in various locations of the Middle East reopened in the wake of Israel and Iran's ceasefire. Air India said flight operations to and from the Middle East would begin on June 25.
Air India Travel Advisory:
Right after Israel and Iran's ceasefire was implemented on June 24, the TATA Group-backed Air India announced, "As airspaces gradually reopen in certain parts of the Middle East, Air India will progressively resume flights to the region starting today, with most operations to and from the Middle East resuming from 25 June."
However, the flight operations will commence in a series with precautions to avoid unsafe regions in the Middle East.
Air India stated that flights to and from Europe, previously cancelled, are also being progressively reinstated from June 24, while services to and from the East Coast of the U.S. and Canada will resume at the earliest opportunity.
US President Donald Trump announced the ceasefire implementation between Israel and Iran that came into effect on June 24. This also marked the ending of a 12-day war between the two Middle Eastern countries.
During this 12-day conflict, Iran reported that at least 610 people died, while 4,700 others were heavily injured since Israel struck its nuclear and military bases on June 13. However, the death toll in Israel is marginal to 29 people, while hundreds were being reported injured from Iran's missile attacks.
Airspaces of both Israel and Iran were closed during this war, including other countries like Qatar followed the same. Many European countries, U.S., China and India among others have issued warnings for air travellers to avoid travelling to the Middle East.
Notably, Air India also said, that some flights could lead to delay or cancellation owing to the continued fragile situation in the Middle East.
"Some flights may experience delays or cancellations due to consequential impacts and extended re-routings/flight times, but we are committed to minimising disruptions and restoring our schedule integrity," Air India's travel advisory said.
Further, it said, "Air India will continue to avoid airspaces assessed as unsafe at any given time. We will keep passengers informed of any updates and sincerely appreciate their understanding. The safety and security of our passengers, staff, and aircraft remain our top priority."
Earlier on Tuesday, an Air India Spokesperson said, "Air India is in continuous consultation with its external security advisors and is vigilantly monitoring the evolving situation. We will keep our passengers informed of any updates. The safety and security of our passengers and staff remain our number one priority."
The latest Middle East tensions have disrupted flying around its region, impacting the majority of airline services globally. However, for Air India, it was another setback as it currently faces a decrease in passenger confidence in India due to its recent flight crash in Ahmedabad.
Air India Plane Crash:
Air India's flight AI171, carrying 242 passengers and crew members, departed from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12 at 1:39 PM local time. Tragically, the airline met its doom shortly after takeoff. Reaching 625 feet from the runway, eyewitness accounts revealed that AI171 struggled to maintain an altitude before descending and crashing near the BJ Medical College and Hospital hostel ground.
As per local media reports, a total of 290 lives succumbed to the accident, including citizens on the ground, apart from 241 passengers and crew members. From the flight, only one person survived and walked out of the wreckage.
On June 22, Air India announced temporary cuts of less than 5% to its overall narrowbody network.
It said, "This voluntary decision leads to the temporary suspension of Air India's services on three routes and reduction of frequency on 19 routes. The changes are effective until at least 15 July 2025."
These reductions are aimed at strengthening Air India's network-wide operational stability and minimising last-minute inconvenience to passengers, the airliner's statement highlighted.
Despite these temporary reductions, Air India will continue to operate close to 600 daily flights with its narrowbody aircraft on 120 domestic and short-haul international routes, it lastly said.
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