New Delhi, 6 March. The deepening crisis in West Asia due to the ongoing war between America, Israel and Iran has completely disrupted global air traffic. This crisis has had the deepest impact on the Indian aviation sector and its passengers. The air route to West Asia, which is the main route for international travel for India, is now turning into a ‘no-fly zone’.
According to the report of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), around 1,221 flights of Indian Airlines have been canceled till the first week of March. In view of the threat posed by the war, DGCA has advised Indian aircraft to avoid the airspace of 11 countries including Iran, Iraq, and UAE. Due to this, companies like Air India, IndiGo and Akasa Air have either stopped or greatly reduced their services to cities like Dubai, Doha and Muscat.
Now one has to take a long trip to go to Europe and America
Due to closure of the route to Iran, now Indian planes have to take a long detour over Oman and Egypt to go to Europe and America. Due to this change, the time of flights has increased by four to five hours.
Fares skyrocketing as distance increases
In this sequence, Air India flights going to New York now have to stop in Rome, Italy for refueling. This is not only wasting time but has also increased the financial burden of fuel and landing charges on the airlines. This crisis has made the prices of air tickets beyond the reach of the common man.
Condition of Gulf countries: Passengers coming to India from Dubai and Abu Dhabi have to pay Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.8 lakh for a one-way ticket.
Europe trip: The fare for cities like London and Paris has reached close to Rs 3 lakh.
Rising costs: Due to the rise in crude oil prices and rising insurance premiums of aircraft, airlines have increased the fuel surcharge, which has a direct impact on the pockets of passengers.
Passenger safety and relief operations
Even though regular flights are closed, companies like Air India and Indigo are operating special ‘relief flights’ to bring back Indians stranded in the Gulf countries. IndiGo has announced that it will give full refund to the affected passengers on cancellation of tickets or will allow them to book flights on another date without any extra charges.
Tourism also affected
Travel experts say that due to the war, Indians have canceled their holidays to countries like Dubai and Türkiye. Now people are afraid to travel on those roads which are close to the war zone. However, no significant impact has been seen on domestic flights within India.
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