Air India begins resumption of flights as Middle East airspace gradually reopens, ET Infra
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Air India has started restoring international flight operations following recent disruptions caused by airspace closures across parts of the Middle East. The closures, triggered by escalating regional tensions, led to cancellations, diversions, and delays of several international flights.In a statement, Air India said it would progressively resume flights to the Middle East starting June 24, with most operations expected to return from June 25. The airline also confirmed that flights to and from Europe, which had earlier been cancelled, are being reinstated. Services to the East Coast of the United States and Canada will resume at the earliest available opportunity.'Some flights may experience delays or cancellations due to consequential impacts and extended reroutings or flight times, but we are committed to minimising disruptions and restoring our schedule integrity,' an Air India spokesperson said. 'We will continue to avoid airspaces assessed as unsafe at any given time.'Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said the government is monitoring the situation continuously and is coordinating with airlines.'Given recent geopolitical developments and the closure of airspace over countries, Indian carriers have been compelled to cancel or reroute several flights to ensure operational safety,' the minister said in a post on social media platform X. 'Every effort is being made to minimise disruption and inconvenience.'Over the past few days, several Indian carriers including Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet, and Akasa Air suspended or diverted flights due to airspace restrictions over Qatar, the UAE, and Bahrain. The restrictions followed missile strikes by Iran on US military installations in Qatar, after US airstrikes on Iranian targets.IndiGo has also resumed some of its Middle East operations, stating it continues to evaluate flight paths for secure travel. Other Indian carriers acknowledged that delays and changes in schedules may persist.
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