Amid escalating tensions and recent military strikes in West Asia, India’s aviation regulator has directed airlines to steer clear of nine regional airspaces and strengthen contingency planning, citing significant risks to civil flight operations. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Thursday advised airlines to avoid the airspaces of Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to an official advisory. About the nine restricted zones, the DGCA asked airlines to "refrain from operating within the affected airspace...at all flight levels and altitudes". "Recent military strikes conducted by the United States and Israel against targets within Iranian territory have led to a high-risk environment for civil aviation. Separately, the civil aviation ministry on Wednesday asked airlines not to levy additional charges on a majority of seats in domestic flights.

Source: The Telegraph March 20, 2026 04:02 UTC