Delhi, 24th June 2025:
The last two days has been the most disturbed days for global aviation and the world at large as US enters the ongoing war between Iran and Israel and surprisingly bombing the various locations in Iran. This has resulted in Iran reciprocating to these unwarranted interference of US in the territory. Further, after issuing a stern warning of taking appropriate action against US, Iran suddenly fired seven to eight missiles at the US military based located at the outskirts of Qatar. This further escalated the already heated situation in the Middle East and as a result Qatar announced the airspace closure which was further joined by other Middle Eastern countries.
Qatar got the support of UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Jordan towards closing their respective airspace sending a jittery in the global aviation community. The message was loud and clear that it’s not going to be usual business for next few days until the situation normalizes.
Worldwide, the operations of commercial airlines got impacted and Indian carriers also had to face the burnt with either cancelling the routes or re-routing it for next few days.
Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said on Tuesday that the government was continuously monitoring the situation following the recent geopolitical developments and the closure of airspace over countries. He said the Ministry of Civil Aviation is continuously monitoring the situation and coordinating with airlines.
In a post on his X handle, the Civil Aviation Minister said, “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 Ministry of Civil Aviation is continuously monitoring the situation and coordinating with airlines to provide real-time updates.”He said that passenger safety remains the government’s top priority.“Every effort is being made to minimize disruption and inconvenience,” he further said in the post.
Meanwhile, several flights were either cancelled or delayed or returned midair following the airspace closure in the Middle East. Rising tensions in the Middle East have severely impacted international flights due to airspace closures over Qatar, the UAE, and Bahrain.The airports and airlines authorities have said the number of flight disruptions may increase if regional tensions persist. Passengers planning to travel to or from affected countries have been strongly advised to contact their respective airlines for the latest flight updates before heading to the airport.Flights to and from major international destinations, including London, Dubai, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Singapore, are facing significant delays due to airspace restrictions.
Pakistan on Monday extended the closure of its airspace for Indian aircraft by a month—till July 24 early morning, according to a fresh NOTAM issued by Pakistan’s aviation authorities. Shortly after that, India also extended the closure of its airspace to Pakistani airlines and aircraft.
