Iran-Israel conflict may hit travel between India & US as airlines rethink routes, frequency

Another official from an international carrier told Moneycontrol that while the airline has faced difficultly in planning and executing air traffic operations to and from India in the last few months, the airline is eyeing the country as a long-term market for the next 20-30 years.

"It has been a tough market since the beginning of 2025, but we’re betting on the next 30 years," the second executive said.

Between India and north America, Air India is the largest operator of direct flights. United Airlines, American Airlines, and Air Canada have only a daily flight to Delhi.

Last week, Air India had also announced that due to the airline performing enhanced checks on its Boeing 777s and geopolitical tensions in the middle east, it will be reducing the frequency of its flights on some sectors across its long-haul network -- which includes north America, UK, Europe, Far East, and Australia -- until at least July 15, 2025.

Air India now operates only seven flights between Delhi and San Francisco instead of 10 earlier; Delhi and Toronto will go down from 13 weekly to seven; Delhi and Chicago will drop from seven to three; Delhi and Washington (Dulles) from five to three, and Delhi and  Vancouver from seven to five.

Travel platforms are also estimating longer routes, higher fares, and more layovers due to reduced direct flights between India and north America. According to Manjari Singhal, Chief Growth and Business Officer, Cleartrip, the frequency of flights to the US will drop by 10 percent, pushing fares slightly upwards.

Scuppered plans

Iran-Israel tensions have caught the Indian aviation market at a very inopportune time, as many international carriers were planning to add more routes to India to make up for tepid transatlantic demand due to global economic uncertainties since early 2025.

Many foreign airlines had announced a range of plans at the International Air Transport Association annual general meeting in New Delhi in June on starting operations to India. Delta Airlines had said that it plans to begin non-stop services from its hub in Atlanta to New Delhi.

While airlines might not be shelving their India expansion plans anytime soon, they're likely to get delayed till there's more stability around west Asia and also India, the first executive said.

Industry experts pointed out that geopolitical tensions are likely to lead to significant changes in flight routes, particularly for those passing through the middle east, according to Hari Ganapathy, Co-founder, Pickyourtrail, a travel agency.

In order to avoid combat areas, airlines are now having to fly longer routes through central Asia, Egypt, and parts of Europe, noted Govind Gaur, Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of WanderOn, an online travel agency. "With connectivity from the Gulf under stress, demand for non-stop flights could increase, pushing prices up."

One-stop flights via middle eastern hubs are under pressure, leading to longer layovers or route diversions, noted Harish Khatri, Founder and MD (Managing Director), India Assist, a travel assistance service.

Passengers may feel the impact of the rerouting in terms of travel time and cost, he added. “If tensions escalate further or become prolonged, we could eventually see selective trimming of services, particularly in less profitable sectors.”

Combating disruption

Indian carriers, especially those flying to Europe, north America, and middle eastern destinations will need to consider alternative routes that avoid the affected regions, added Ganapathy. "For instance, flights that would usually transit through the middle east may have to take longer routes via Turkey, Russia, or even Africa."

Major Gulf transit points such as Doha, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi are also experiencing tremendous disruption, impacting both regional and long-haul connectivity, Gaur said. "With numerous flights now being rerouted through alternative corridors such as Turkey, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, or south through Saudi Arabia and the Red Sea, the pressure on worldwide routing is mounting, particularly with Russian and Ukrainian airspace remaining off-limits."

Iran-Israel tensions are disrupting some of the most critical aviation corridors, pointed out Khatri. "Flights between Asia, Europe, and north America are being rerouted. It’s not just a logistical issue, it’s a strategic shift in how airlines calculate viability, risk, and resource allocation."

He added that Indian carriers are already adjusting and flights that previously passed through the Gulf and Iranian corridors are now being redirected via central Asia or over the Arabian Sea. "These reroutes can add 30–90 minutes to certain legs, which impacts crew duty hours, fuel economics, and aircraft turnaround times."

As alternative flight routes may come into greater use, Indian carriers will have to implement adaptive routing practices that emphasise passenger safety without compromising regulatory requirements, noted Jyoti Mayal, Chairperson, Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council.

"These routes will mean greater coordination with international air traffic control authorities. Indian airlines are already in discussion with international aviation authorities to map out the best alternatives in advance," she added.

Newer routes may also mean schedule volatility for passengers, said Khatri.

"Most passengers who use Gulf carriers such as Emirates, Etihad, or Qatar Airways are impacted as the flights of these airlines are being diverted. And heavy traffic through major transit points such as Doha and Dubai leaves less choice for last-minute re-routing," noted Gaur.

He is advising US-bound passengers to be flexible about dates and routes. "We are also adding more airline partnerships and proposing alternative routes to lessen the dependence on high-risk areas."

Indians eyeing alternative destinations

But some destinations are flying high despite the turmoil.

"Travellers from Chennai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru are increasingly opting for southeast Asian transit hubs. Routes via Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, and Vietnam have seen a 7 percent rise in traffic," said Singhal.

Searches for southeast Asian routes are up 30 percent year-on-year, with bookings rising by 20 percent, both for travellers visiting the region and those transiting through it, she added.

"Fares to the US via southeast Asia have remained stable over the past 10 days, but with more travellers now preferring direct flights, we may see fares climb in the coming days," Singhal said.