Late on 29 February and again on 1 March, India’s Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) circulated an urgent bulletin citing an EU Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) warning that 11 West-Asian FIRs now constitute a “high-risk environment for civil aviation.” The regulator instructed all Indian operators to avoid the designated zones unless a detailed, airline-level risk assessment justifies entry.
Within hours, Air India, IndiGo, Air India Express, SpiceJet and Akasa Air suspended services to Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha, Muscat, Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Tel Aviv. They also rerouted Europe- and U.S.-bound flights over the Arabian Sea and the Mediterranean, adding up to 90 minutes of block time and significant fuel cost.
For travellers suddenly rerouting through new hubs, last-minute visa requirements can derail tight schedules. VisaHQ’s India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) streamlines emergency applications, offers real-time status tracking, and advises on shifting entry regulations, ensuring project teams and individual passengers stay compliant even as flight paths change.
![DGCA Issues High-Risk Airspace Alert; Indian Carriers Reroute and Waive Fees]()
To soften the blow, airlines activated comprehensive waiver schemes: zero-fee date changes, full refunds for cancelled sectors, and—in Air India’s case—free rescheduling on a “plus-7/-7 day” window. Travel managers report that most GDS systems have already filed the waivers, but manual intervention is still required for partially-flown tickets.
The DGCA notice is valid until 2 March but could be extended. Policy experts say the move underscores India’s more proactive safety posture after criticism that the country reacted slowly to previous overseas conflicts. Firms moving project teams or high-value cargo through the region should revisit duty-of-care playbooks, including updating traveller tracking tools and verifying that vendor insurance covers war-risk overflight.
Passengers should expect longer flight times, potential tech stops for refuelling, and rolling schedule changes until regional tensions ease.
Within hours, Air India, IndiGo, Air India Express, SpiceJet and Akasa Air suspended services to Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha, Muscat, Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Tel Aviv. They also rerouted Europe- and U.S.-bound flights over the Arabian Sea and the Mediterranean, adding up to 90 minutes of block time and significant fuel cost.
For travellers suddenly rerouting through new hubs, last-minute visa requirements can derail tight schedules. VisaHQ’s India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) streamlines emergency applications, offers real-time status tracking, and advises on shifting entry regulations, ensuring project teams and individual passengers stay compliant even as flight paths change.
To soften the blow, airlines activated comprehensive waiver schemes: zero-fee date changes, full refunds for cancelled sectors, and—in Air India’s case—free rescheduling on a “plus-7/-7 day” window. Travel managers report that most GDS systems have already filed the waivers, but manual intervention is still required for partially-flown tickets.
The DGCA notice is valid until 2 March but could be extended. Policy experts say the move underscores India’s more proactive safety posture after criticism that the country reacted slowly to previous overseas conflicts. Firms moving project teams or high-value cargo through the region should revisit duty-of-care playbooks, including updating traveller tracking tools and verifying that vendor insurance covers war-risk overflight.
Passengers should expect longer flight times, potential tech stops for refuelling, and rolling schedule changes until regional tensions ease.
