DGCA urges airlines to avoid 11 airspaces amid escalating West asia conflict — What it means for flights, routes & passenger

As the conflict between Iran and the US-Israel continues to escalate and roil West Asia, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued an urgent safety advisory to all Indian airline operators on Friday.

The advisory is effective immediately and remains valid till March 28, 2026 until further notice. The DGCA identified 11 countries as high-risk zones and 9 as countries to avoid operations in.

In its advisory, the civil aviation regulator warned of dangers such as the use of cruise and ballistic missiles and high-altitude air defence systems. 

It further cited a high probability of "spill-over" risks, including misidentification of civil aircraft, miscalculation or failure of military interception procedures. The advisory comes at a time when many airlines have either suspended or restricted their services to destinations in West Asia.

List of high-risk countries

• Iran
• Israel
• Lebanon
• Saudi Arabia
• Bahrain
• Oman
• Iraq
• Jordan
• Kuwait 
• UAE
• Qatar

List of countries for avoiding operations

• Iran
• Israel
• Lebanon
• Bahrain
• Iraq
• Jordan
• Kuwait 
• UAE
• Qatar

"Refrain from operating within the affected airspace listed above at all flight levels and altitudes, except Saudi Arabia and Oman," DGCA said in its advisory accessed by India Today. It further warned airlines against operating below FL 320 (32000 feet) within the airspace of Saudi Arabia and Oman. 

What do these restrictions mean for flights?

Major airlines, including Air India and IndiGo, will have to use longer flight routes to bypass the restricted zones, particularly for European and North American routes. Rerouting of flights is likely to add several hours to flight durations for international long-haul sectors. 

What should passengers impact? 

Passengers are urged to verify the current status of their flight directly with the concerned airline's app/website before heading to the airport. They can also check the concerned airline's official social media handles to know the status of their flight. 

Besides this, many airlines are offering flexible rebooking options and full refunds to affected passengers. For those booking their flights, the increased fuel usage due to longer routes may lead to an increase in ticket prices if the situation persists. 

What should the airlines do? 

Airlines have been advised to refrain from operating within the affected airspace at all flight levels and altitudes, with the exception of Saudi Arabia and Oman. "Any continued operations would be at the discretion of the Operator based on their safety risk assessment," the DGCA said. 

The airlines have been advised to implement a strong monitoring process and up-to-date risk assessment when intending to operate within the Saudi and Omani airspace. The DGCA also directed airlines to update and use defined corridors based on risk assessment to ensure continued safe operations. 

It further advised airlines operating in the affected region to account for robust contingency planning to cover all eventualities. The airlines have also been urged to ensure extended diversion time operations (EDTO) compliance if applicable, as well as the availability of alternates for the selected routes. 

At the end, they were advised to monitor all updated aeronautical information publications/AIPs and NOTAMs issued by affected countries and national authorities. The operators have to provide their flight crew with information regarding the latest NOTAMs and airspace restrictions affecting flights that are already airborne.