Around 30 flights likely to be cancelled today as Israel hits Iran; airlines face fuel price surge, longer routes

Furthermore airlines globally are expected to face a double blow: soaring fuel costs and lengthier flight routes due to the closure of airspace over conflict zones. Indian carriers, in particular, are bracing for significant disruptions, with longer travel distances and rising operational expenses likely to lead to higher airfares, analysts said.

As tensions escalate between Israel and Iran, around 30 international flights from India are expected to get cancelled on June 13 due to the airspace Iran and Israel airspace closures, airlines and industry experts told Moneycontrol.

Air India in a statement on social media said that 17 flights are currently either being diverted or returning to their origin destinations including AI130 – London Heathrow-Mumbai – Diverted to Vienna, AI102 – New York-Delhi – Diverted to Sharjah, AI116 – New York-Mumbai – Diverted to Jeddah, AI2018 – London Heathrow-Delhi – Diverted to Mumbai, AI129 – Mumbai-London Heathrow – Returning to Mumbai, AI119 – Mumbai-New York – Returning to Mumbai, AI103 – Delhi-Washington – Returning to Delhi, AI106 – Newark-Delhi – Diverted to Vienna, AI188 – Vancouver-Delhi – Diverting to Jeddah, AI101 – Delhi-New York – Diverting to Frankfurt/Milan, AI126 – Chicago-Delhi – Diverting to Jeddah, AI132 – London Heathrow-Bengaluru – Diverted to Sharjah, AI2016 – London Heathrow-Delhi – Diverted to Vienna, AI104 – Washington-Delhi – Diverted to Vienna, AI190 – Toronto-Delhi – Diverted to Frankfurt and AI189 – Delhi-Toronto – Returning to Delhi.

The widespread disruption followed a dramatic shift in the regional security environment. Data from flight tracker Flightradar24 showed a mass exodus of commercial aircraft from the airspace over Israel, Iran, and Iraq after the Israeli operation began in the early hours of June 13 morning.

Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv was shut down until further notice, and Iran declared its airspace closed, while Iraq temporarily suspended operations at all of its airports.

The latest hostilities follow months of heightened instability sparked by the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which began its latest phase in October 2023. Commercial pilots have reported witnessing missile activity during flights, with some describing the proximity of drone interceptions as “visible from the cockpit.”

Furthermore airlines globally are expected to face a double blow: soaring fuel costs and lengthier flight routes due to the closure of airspace over conflict zones. Indian carriers, in particular, are bracing for significant disruptions, with longer travel distances and rising operational expenses likely to lead to higher airfares, analysts said.

"We are already flying over the Hindu Kush mountains when serving destinations in Eastern Europe and are flying on alternate routes around Israel and Jordan when flying to eight destinations in Western Europe," a senior Air India executive explained. "Safety of our passengers is our highest priority and going forward we will continue to avoid dangerous airspaces. At the moment, we have not taken a call to suspend any more operations."

However, the airline warned that rising fuel costs may soon be passed on to consumers. "The impact of fuel prices will unfortunately be passed onto customers if the price escalation for crude are beyond a level that the airline can sustain. There is a growing fear that air travel between Europe and the Middle East may be severely impacted if ongoing conflicts continue to escalate. We expect at least a 10-20 percent rise in airfares over the next month as passengers look to book their festival season plans in advance."

Other airlines are also adjusting routes and suspending flights due to the conflict. Finnair has indefinitely suspended flights over Iranian airspace since May 2024. a Finnair executive noted. "Our flights from Doha will reroute over Egypt, slightly delaying travel times. Our direct flights from India to Helsinki will also avoid Iranian airspace until the ongoing conflict is resolved."

Major global carriers such as KLM, Wizz Air, Finnair, Delta, Qatar Airways, British Airways, Emirates, and Lufthansa have already suspended their services to Israel and Lebanon as of October 2. Similarly, Indian carriers like Air India, Vistara, and IndiGo, along with several international airlines, are avoiding Iranian airspace to ensure passenger safety, further complicating travel logistics.

Fuel costs, a significant operational expense for airlines, are expected to rise if crude prices spike in response to the escalating conflict. With airlines already stretched thin by the post-pandemic recovery, this surge threatens to disrupt travel affordability, particularly during the upcoming holiday season.

Though it's too early to gauge the full impact on airfares, industry experts predict a significant rise in ticket prices in the near term. As travelers gear up for the busy Christmas and New Year season, airlines are preparing for a challenging period of rerouted flights, delayed travel times, and higher ticket prices.