Air India Reroutes Europe, US Flights via this Region

GURUGRAM- Air India (AI), the Tata Group-owned national carrier, has rerouted several flights to Europe and North America via the Red Sea corridor due to heightened geopolitical tensions involving Iran, Israel, and the United States (US).

Amid simultaneous challenges, including the closure of Pakistan’s airspace and precautionary safety measures, flights to major cities such as London (LHR), New York (JFK), and Toronto (YYZ) have been diverted to longer but safer routes.

Photo: Utkarsh Thakkar (Vimanspotter)

Air India Europe and US Flights

In response to intensifying military activity in West Asia, Air India (AI) has revised its flight operations.

The carrier now uses a route from western India over the Arabian Sea and the Red Sea, passing through Egyptian airspace and over Greece to reach Europe. This strategic shift bypasses the Persian Gulf and Pakistan’s restricted airspace, reported Hindu BusinessLine.

Flights departing from western Indian cities like Mumbai (BOM) or Ahmedabad (AMD) can complete the journey to European destinations without refuelling. However, long-haul departures from northern hubs such as Delhi (DEL) require technical fuel stops at domestic western airports before proceeding.

For flights to North America, especially the US East Coast and Canada, the situation is mixed. While flagship Airbus A350 services between Delhi (DEL) and New York (JFK) or Newark (EWR) continue to operate non-stop, some transatlantic flights now include refuelling halts in Vienna (VIE).

Conversely, select inbound flights from the US West Coast and Canada are making technical stops in Kolkata (CCU).

Photo: avgeekwithlens/ Harsh Tekriwal

Temporary Reductions in Long-Haul Schedules

Alongside rerouting, Air India has implemented a 15% reduction in its international wide-body operations from June 21 to at least July 15, 2025. This decision results from multiple operational constraints, including:

• Increased military tensions in the Middle East
• Ongoing night curfews in certain European and East Asian airspaces
• Enhanced internal safety checks on wide-body aircraft
• Operational caution by engineering and cockpit crews

These disruptions caused 83 international flight cancellations in just six days.

According to the airline, the reduction aims to ensure passenger safety and fleet reliability while minimizing service disruptions. Flights to the UAE, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait are also using alternative routes, which may extend flight durations.

Ongoing Monitoring and Security Coordination

Air India has confirmed that it remains in close coordination with its external security advisors. The airline continues to assess regional security developments in real-time and stands ready to take further steps if needed.

“Air India is vigilantly monitoring the evolving situation and is prepared to implement additional measures, if required, to uphold the safety and integrity of our operations,” an airline spokesperson said.

Despite the challenges, Air India continues to serve ten European destinations with over 100 weekly flights, with the UK (LHR, LGW) being its largest European market at 60 weekly frequencies.

Photo: Dubai Airshow

Flight Cancellations to Dubai and the Gulf

Major global carriers, including American Airlines (AA), KLM (KL), and Singapore Airlines (SQ), have suspended or rerouted flights to Dubai (DXB) and other Gulf hubs due to escalating conflict in the Middle East.

Triggered by intensifying military actions between Iran and Israel, including U.S. strikes on Iranian targets, these disruptions are impacting air travel across Europe, North America, and Asia, with key routes diverted or cancelled for safety reasons.

For more than ten days, commercial aviation traffic across Iran, Iraq, and the broader Middle East has dropped significantly.

Airlines are navigating around closed airspace and high-risk zones due to ongoing missile threats and drone activity in the region. The strategic Gulf air corridor—already vital due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict—is now facing additional strain.

The closures have forced airlines to reroute via the Caspian Sea or through Egypt and Saudi Arabia, increasing flight durations and operational costs. Elevated fuel prices are further compounding the situation, creating widespread turbulence in long-haul connectivity to and from Dubai (DXB), Riyadh (RUH), and Doha (DOH).

Photo: By Davidi Vardi – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=132086956

Europe and UK Carriers Modify Operations

• KLM (KL) has suspended flights to Tel Aviv (TLV), Dubai (DXB), Riyadh (RUH), and Dammam (DMM). The carrier has also implemented major route adjustments due to the NATO summit and ongoing instability, affecting over 20% of scheduled flights.
• British Airways (BA) cancelled flights to Dubai (DXB), Doha (DOH), and Bahrain (BAH) on June 22. Services were expected to gradually resume, with flexible rebooking options extended through July 6.
• Finnair (AY) paused its Doha (DOH) route, while Wizz Air (W6) is avoiding Iranian, Iraqi, Syrian, and Israeli airspace until further notice.
• Air France-KLM Group (AF/KL) suspended select services to Dubai and Riyadh on June 22–23, with ongoing security evaluations in place.

North American Airlines Suspends Gulf Flights

• American Airlines (AA) suspended Doha (DOH) operations without a confirmed restart date.
• Air Canada (AC) halted daily non-stop flights to Dubai (DXB) through at least July 3.
• United Airlines (UA) cancelled Newark (EWR) to Dubai (DXB) services. Flights to Tel Aviv (TLV) remain suspended between June 13 and August 1.

Asian Airlines Reassess Middle East Connections

• Singapore Airlines (SQ) cancelled flights from Singapore (SIN) to Dubai (DXB) on June 22, with a tentative resumption beginning June 23. However, all DXB flights are cancelled through June 25 pending further security reviews.

Regional Carriers Suspend and Adjust Schedules

Several Gulf and Middle East-based airlines have made extensive adjustments:

• Emirates (EK): Suspended flights to Tehran (IKA), Baghdad (BGW), Basra (BSR), Amman (AMM), and Beirut (BEY) through June 30.
• Etihad Airways (EY): Halted Tel Aviv (TLV) operations through July 15.
• flydubai (FZ): Suspended routes to Iran, Iraq, Israel, Syria, and St. Petersburg (LED); limited operations to Amman (AMM) and Beirut (BEY).
• Air Arabia (G9): Paused flights to/from Iran, Iraq, Russia, and the Caucasus region until June 30.
• Israir (6H), TUS Airways (U8), ITA Airways (AZ), and TAROM (RO) all extended Tel Aviv flight suspensions through late June or July.
• Lufthansa Group (LH): Avoids airspace over Iran, Iraq, and Israel; all Tehran (IKA) flights suspended.

Travellers planning to fly through the region should take the following steps:

• Check flight status directly with the airline before heading to the airport.
• Rebooking and refunds are widely available for disrupted itineraries.
• Transiting passengers may be denied boarding at origin if connecting through affected hubs like Dubai (DXB) or Abu Dhabi (AUH).

Airlines are issuing regular updates as conditions evolve. Authorities and carriers continue to monitor the region daily to assess the feasibility of route resumptions.

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