Israel-Iran war: Flights diverted, delayed as Air India, others avoid Persian Gulf airspace

Israel and Iran are locked in a growing conflict, trading missile strikes and targeting key infrastructure. In response, Tata Group-owned Air India has announced a "proactive" change to its flight routes, confirming that its services currently do not operate over the airspaces of Iran, Iraq, and Israel.

In a statement on Saturday, an Air India spokesperson said the airline would begin progressively avoiding specific parts of the Persian Gulf airspace in the coming days. This decision impacts flights to several Middle Eastern destinations, including the UAE, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait.

“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 spokesperson said.

The rerouting may result in longer flight durations for these routes, as well as for select services operating to and from Europe and North America.

The airline added that it is working closely with external security advisors and is continuously monitoring the evolving situation in the region. “We are ready to implement additional measures, if required, to uphold the safety and integrity of our operations,” the statement said.