Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu on Friday met airline executives, who warned that a prolonged conflict in West Asia could significantly disrupt operations for Indian carriers due to their heavy exposure to the region, according to an Economic Times report.
During the meeting, airline representatives urged the government to consider support measures if jet fuel prices surge further. Aviation turbine fuel typically accounts for around 15–25 per cent of an airline’s operating costs. Prices of jet fuel in Singapore, a key benchmark for Asia, have already jumped 72 per cent, reaching a record $225.44 a barrel on Wednesday amid concerns over supply disruptions.
Analysts at Citigroup told Economic Times that benchmark Brent crude oil could trade between $80 and $90 a barrel this week if the conflict continues.
Airline executives also sought rationalisation of airport charges and route navigation fees imposed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
The Centre, however, has not yet considered direct financial incentives for the aviation sector. Authorities are instead exploring ways to ease regulatory hurdles for airlines operating flights to West Asia.
Officials are examining options such as extending watch hours at western Indian airports and granting limited exemptions from pilot duty hour rules for flights that have become longer due to diversions around conflict zones.
Indian carriers have already begun to face higher operating costs. Air India, owned by the Tata Group, has been forced to take longer routes for some services to Europe and North America, significantly increasing fuel consumption.
Meanwhile, IndiGo has been unable to deploy six leased wide-body aircraft for its planned European routes because the planes’ owner, Norse Atlantic Airways, must comply with restrictions imposed by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency on flying through West Asian airspace.
West Asia remains a critical transit corridor for Indian airlines flying between Europe and Asia, particularly since Indian carriers have been barred from using Pakistani airspace following last year’s Operation Sindoor.
Insurance costs are also rising. Premiums for hull war-risk insurance have increased by about ₹30–40 lakh for narrow-body aircraft and ₹90 lakh to ₹1 crore for wide-body flights on routes such as Delhi–Dubai–Delhi.
Air India has also requested government approval to explore an alternative route over China to bypass Pakistani airspace. Such a proposal would require clearance from the ministries of home affairs and defence before any formal engagement with Beijing.
Evacuation operations
Airlines have resumed very limited services to West Asia, primarily to evacuate thousands of Indian nationals stranded in the region. However, these flights are often commercially unviable because aircraft frequently travel nearly empty on the outbound leg and face operational uncertainty at major regional hubs.
According to government data, Indian airlines cancelled 278 international flights on Friday while scheduling 96 services to and from West Asia.
Airline officials said each flight requires detailed safety assessments, which lengthen turnaround times and reduce aircraft utilisation, further affecting profitability.
