Indian airlines are expected to cancel 444 international flights due to airspace restrictions in the Middle East following attacks on Iran by Israel and the US. The civil aviation ministry is closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with airlines to ensure passenger safety and minimize disruptions.
Due to airspace restrictions resulting from the conflict in the Middle East, Indian domestic carriers have cancelled 278 international flights. Some airlines are operating limited services and special flights to assist stranded passengers.
Parents of Kashmiri students studying in Iran have appealed to the Indian government to evacuate their children due to ongoing tensions and protests in the country. They cite difficulties in communication and travel arrangements.
The UK's Civil Aviation Authority is investigating a fuel control switch issue on an Air India Boeing 787-8 at Heathrow Airport. The incident occurred before a flight to Bengaluru, prompting scrutiny from both UK and Indian aviation regulators.
Indian airlines are resuming normal services to Kathmandu after the airport reopened following unrest in Nepal. Air India and IndiGo will operate additional flights to bring back stranded passengers.
With 7.64 million seats, the Mumbai-Delhi route in 2025 was the eighth busiest route in the world.
Airports across the country have been placed on operational alert to manage potential flight diversions, unscheduled landings and passenger facilitation requirements.
IndiGo has the lowest pilots-to-aircraft ratio among domestic airlines in India, according to data presented in Parliament. SpiceJet and Akasa Air have the highest ratios. Air India Express employs the most expat pilots.
The apex auditor is busy preparing a report on the Air India-Indian Airlines merger and modernisation of airports through public-private-partnerships, both carried out during the previous term of the United Progressive Alliance government.
Air India grounded a Boeing 787-8 after a pilot reported a potential fuel control switch defect. The incident occurs amidst an ongoing investigation into the airline's Dreamliner crash last June.
Indian Airlines whipped Bangladesh XI while Air-India prevailed over CISF in the semi-finals of the Shastri hockey tournament.\n\n
Anoushka Shankar reports damage to her sitar after an Air India flight, prompting an investigation by the airline. The incident has drawn reactions from fellow artists and highlights concerns about the handling of musical instruments.
An Air India Airbus A350 sustained engine damage after ingesting a baggage container while taxiing at Delhi airport. The incident occurred after the flight returned to Delhi due to the unexpected closure of Iranian airspace. The DGCA is investigating.
Air India announced the resumption of its non-stop flights between Delhi and Shanghai (PVG), effective from February 1, 2026, marking Air India's return to mainland China after nearly six years, an official statement by the airline stated.
The operations of many global carriers, including Qatar Airways, have also been impacted due to the airspace curbs in the wake of the Middle East tensions.
The CBI today registered three FIRs and a preliminary enquiry to probe alleged irregularities in Indian Airlines-Air India merger and purchase of 111 aircraft, leasing of planes and giving up of profit-making routes by Air India, causing a loss of thousands of crore of rupees.
IndiGo, Air India, and SpiceJet are opposing the government's directive to offer 60% of seats for free selection, arguing it will lead to increased airfares to compensate for lost revenue.
In 2025, the total net induction was 35 planes -- 79 added and 44 returned -- making it much lower than even 2024.
The Centre informed the Supreme Court that the Air India pilot has not been blamed in the AAIB's preliminary report into the June 12 plane crash that claimed 260 lives. The court is hearing a plea for a parallel inquiry into the accident.
The Indian government disclosed that 176 aircraft operated by non-scheduled and general aviation operators lack flight data and cockpit voice recorders, raising safety concerns. The disclosure was made in response to a query in the Rajya Sabha.
India's aviation sector is facing fresh turbulence, with rising fuel costs, the Ministry of Civil Aviation's free-seat directive, and geopolitical disruptions in West Asia clouding near-term earnings visibility.
Two new airlines -- Al Hind Air and FlyExpress -- are set to take to the skies, with the carriers receiving their no objection certificates from the civil aviation ministry.
Under the proposal, if a foreign carrier does not operate flights to a particular Indian airport for 'four consecutive IATA seasons', the regulator may suspend that airport authorisation.
Indian airlines are likely to face additional weekly expenses of Rs 77 crore for international flights operated from north Indian cities as the airspace curbs result in increased fuel consumption and longer flight duration. An analysis of the number of overseas flights and back-of-the-envelope calculations based on increased flight time as well as approximate expenses by PTI showed that the additional monthly operational costs could be over Rs 306 crore.
SpiceJet recorded the highest complaint rate per 10,000 passengers, rising sharply from 3.9 in November 2024 to 13.8 in October 2025.
Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu highlights challenges in aircraft procurement due to global supply chain disruptions, impacting India's aviation sector growth and expansion plans.
The other semi-final in the Shastri hockey tournament will be between Indian Oil and BPCL.
An Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner experienced an uncommanded deployment of its Ram Air Turbine (RAT) shortly before landing. The DGCA is investigating the incident, raising safety concerns.
The Federation of Indian Pilots, said the union has written to the DGCA raising concerns over the extension.
'CORSIA has set impossible targets. It tries to limit countries to the emission levels of the number of aircraft that they had in 2020. That has to be opposed.'
'In the inspections, no issues were found with the said locking mechanism.'
Air India reiterated that its priority remains extending assistance to the families.
There were also seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian on board the Air India flight that crashed in Ahmedabad.
Travel situation from the Gulf region is gradually improving, with a significant number of passengers already returning to India.
Air India has confirmed that 241 people on board its London-bound flight were killed when the aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from the Ahmedabad airport on Thursday.
Indian airlines are now required to offer 60% of seats for free and ensure families sit together, as the government strengthens passenger rights and addresses concerns about high seat selection fees.
While this doesn't mean that air travel is now a breeze, what it does mean is that you now have more rights and more control over your money.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and four others were killed after their aircraft crashed in Baramati on January 28, 2026. Here are 11 other prominent Indians who died in air crashes.
Air India and Air India Express on Tuesday progressively resumed their services to the Middle East, with flights to Dubai and Muscat, respectively, as countries in the region reopened their airspaces.
Globally, as well as in India, most airlines pay their pilots a fixed salary. Private airlines in India pay an Executive Commander a salary from Rs 4,15,000 to Rs 4,35,000 per month. However, if the pilot flies more than 70-75 hours a month, he gets an additional payment for each hour flown, aboutr Rs 4,000 an hour.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances