Israel-Iran war: Air India reroutes flights to avoid Gulf airspace

In response to mounting geopolitical tensions in the Gulf region, Air India has announced a strategic realignment of its flight paths, confirming it has stopped operating over the airspaces of Iran, Iraq, and Israel.

According to senior airline officials, the move is aimed at ensuring passenger and crew safety as instability in the Middle East intensifies.

"As a proactive measure, we will be progressively avoiding the use of certain airspace over the Persian Gulf in the coming days, opting instead for alternative paths for flights to destinations including the UAE, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait,” the official said.

The Air India group, which includes Air India and Air India Express, said that the re-routing could result in longer flight durations for certain services, including select routes to and from Europe and North America.

The official emphasised that the changes are part of a broader safety-first approach, and that it remains in continuous consultation with external security experts to monitor developments in the region.

"Air India is vigilantly monitoring the evolving situation, ready to implement additional measures, if required, to uphold the safety and integrity of our operations. The safety and security of our passengers, staff, and aircraft remain our number one priority," the official said.

The shift away from high-risk air corridors comes as other global carriers also assess operational risks in the region, with many choosing longer, alternate routes to avoid potential threats from missile or drone activity.

Passengers travelling to or through the Middle East, Europe, or North America have been advised to check with the airline for potential changes to schedules or flight durations. Air India has assured that all significant updates will be communicated promptly through its official channels.

Notably, the United States on Sunday launched strikes on three underground nuclear facilities in Iran. Speaking from the White House, US President Donald Trump announced that America carried out "massive precision" strikes on Iran and warned the latter of further retaliation if peace was not achieved.

Iran condemned the attacks, calling them a violation of international law, and vowed to continue its nuclear programme.