West Asia crisis flummoxes airlines, increases Mumbai-Europe flight times

The closure of Iranian airspace after Iran fired missiles on Israel amid the crisis in West Asia have forced carriers to reroute various flights to Europe from Mumbai, increasing their flying duration by up to 20 minutes.

Mumbai is India’s busiest airport after Delhi. Industry executives told Business Standard the situation had become complicated because the airspace of Afghanistan, which neighbours Iran, was anyway not being used by various carriers since the Taliban takeover in August 2021.

These airlines are now taking their flights to Europe via Tajikistan or via Iraq. However, a few of them are even avoiding Iraqi airspace and instead using Israeli airspace because it is still open, they said.

For example, Air France’s Mumbai-Paris flight was flying over Iraq before the October 1 missile attack by Iran. However, after October 1, the airline has rerouted the flight, which now goes via Israeli airspace. Air France did not respond to Business Standard’s request for a statement on this matter.

Mumbai, being located farther west and closer to West Asia than Delhi or Bengaluru, is more likely to have its international flights crossing Iranian airspace, particularly on routes to Europe or anywhere else in the western hemisphere. Flights from Delhi or Bengaluru, while they may still fly over Iran, depending on the route, have alternative paths that may take them through Central Asia or northern routes.

Air India’s Mumbai-London flight is now going via Tajikistan’s airspace, increasing its flight time. When contacted, an Air India spokesperson told the newspaper: “All our flights are assessed daily for any potential security or safety risks whether it is in the Middle East or any other part of our route network. Adjustments are made, if required, to avoid areas of risk with a minimal impact on our non-stop operations. The situation is being monitored closely.”

Lufthansa has been using Iranian airspace for its Mumbai-Frankfurt flight. It has rerouted its flight, increasing its time. In a statement, a Lufthansa spokesperson said: “At Lufthansa Group, the safety of our passengers and crew is our top priority. Due to the current situation in the Middle East, the airlines of the Lufthansa Group have adjusted their flight schedules. Accordingly, these adjustments include the following: Iranian airspace will be avoided until further notice; Iraqi airspace will be avoided until further notice (with the exception of a northern corridor for flights to and from Erbil); Israeli airspace will be avoided up to, and including, October 31, 2024.”

“Due to these adjustments, the affected passengers can rebook free of charge to a later travel date or alternatively receive a full refund of their ticket price. Safety is of (utmost) concern for the Lufthansa Group and we regret the inconvenience caused to our passengers,” the spokesperson added.

Aviation-industry executives stated the airfares were likely to move up if the increased flight time persisted. Right now, the low prices of aviation turbine fuel (ATF) are helping the airlines buffer the disruption, they said. On October 1, the ATF price in Delhi stood at Rs 87,597 (per kilo litre), which was 25.9 per cent lower than in October 2023.

IndiGo’s Mumbai-Istanbul flight time has increased by up to 20 minutes due to the closure of Iranian airspace. The airline is flying through Israel.

IndiGo did not respond to Business Standard’s request for a statement on this matter.

Some of the flights that are taking longer routes due to closure of Iranian airspace:

1. IndiGo's Mumbai-Istanbul --- 14 weekly flights

2. Lufthansa's Mumbai-Frankfurt -- 14 weekly flights

3. Air India's Mumbai-London Heathrow -- 28 weekly flights

4. British Airways's Mumbai-London Heathrow -- 42 weekly flights

5. Vistara's Mumbai-Frankfurt -- 14 weekly flights

6. Air France's Mumbai-Paris -- 14 weekly flights