NEW DELHI: It’s the season when suitcases come out and travel plans take off. But this summer, for many outbound flyers, wanderlust is tempered with worry. From tense airspace maps to the recent air tragedy, there’s a lot of rethink going on at what is otherwise peak carefree vacation time.The skies between India and the west have become a minefield with airlines avoiding ever-expanding no-fly zones. Air India resumed overflying Iran after Pakistan airspace was closed to Indian carriers on April 24 to make the longer detours bearable. But with Iran closing its airspace following the Israeli attacks on its nuclear sites, the longer routes between India and the west will get even longer. The deadly Air India crash in Ahmedabad has also created a fear of flying.“There’s concern among flyers. Many are opting for airlines other than AI,” claimed Anil Kalsi, vice-president, Travel Agents Federation of India. “The current uncertainty about routes and the memory of the horrific air crash have caused nervousness among travellers. Many people are deferring non-essential travel until the situation stabilises on either or both of these fronts.”The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has asked Air India to inspect its Dreamliner fleet, employed in routes to Europe and the Far East. These craft are being checked as they fly into India and are cleared for the next flight only after passing the checks. “AI has completed checks on nine of the B787s. Some of these inspections could lead to higher turnaround time and potential delays on certain long-haul routes, especially those to airports with operating curfews. Customers will be duly notified about any delays. They are advised to check the status of their flights before heading to the airport,” AI posted on X on Saturday.The closure of Iranian airspace led to 16 AI flights being affected on Friday. Some were diverted to cities en route such as Vienna, Jeddah and Sharjah, while others returned to their port of origin. IndiGo’s once non-stop flights between Delhi and Tbilisi and Baku are now one-stop routes.“Safety is any traveller’s first concern. The crash pushed Air India’s image back by at least three years. Both family and solo travellers are equally rattled,” said M. Iqbal Mulla, president, Global Tourism Council, and former head of Travel Agents’ Association of India. “Then, the impact of the Iran airspace closure has proved severe.”The bottlenecks in the sky could get worse. The airspace of Jordan and Lebanon closes whenever there’s conflict in the region and has shut several times since the Hamas attack in Israel in Oct 2023.Expectedly, travel agents are inundated with panicked calls, airports are grappling with unscheduled landings, and passengers are coming to terms with the uncertainty. Sunil Kumar R, president, Travel Agents’ Association of India, said, “The confidence of international travellers has been affected. Many of them are now undecided and awaiting stabilisation of the situation. This indecision is having a negative impact on outbound travel. While some of this may benefit domestic tourism temporarily, continued uncertainty will discourage overseas travel altogether. We’re receiving several calls from customers confused about whether to book or postpone travel.”Jyoti Mayal, chairperson, Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council and former TAAI president, reiterated, “The Israel-Iran conflict and airspace closure have disrupted over 1,800 flights and prompted diversions, especially on routes from India and southeast Asia to Europe and the US. Amid this, Air India has faced a wave of cancellations and change requests, particularly from those booked on similar flights.”The India-Pakistan airspace standoff whenever there is tension also forces carriers to take detours and passengers to think twice. There is discussion every day among potential travellers whether it is the right time to be travelling. Sonalika said, “I remember cancelling my flight tickets from Canada to India because of the tension between the two countries earlier. I can only imagine how it feels right now.”
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