AIR INDIA, INDIGO SUSPEND MIDDLE EAST FLIGHTS AMID ISRAEL-US STRIKES ON IRAN

Read Time:1 Minute, 21 Second

By: Sefiu Ajape

India’s largest private carriers, IndiGo and Air India, suspended flights to all Middle East destinations on Saturday following strikes on Iran by Israel and the United States.

“In view of the developing situation in parts of the Middle East, all Air India flights to all destinations in the Middle East have been suspended,” Air India said in a statement posted on X.

IndiGo said it was also suspending flights temporarily “in view of the safety and security of customers and crew.”

“Our teams are continuously monitoring the evolving situation and recalibrating operations to minimise disruption as much as possible,” the carrier said on X.

New Delhi has historically balanced its ties with Israel while engaging widely with other Gulf nations, home to millions of Indian migrants, and the region is also a critical source of energy for the world’s fastest-growing major economy.

The strikes on Iran come just a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned home from a landmark visit to Israel, where the two sides took steps to deepen trade and defence ties.

The right-wing Hindu nationalist premier also addressed Israeli lawmakers, saying New Delhi stands “firmly” with Israel following Hamas’s deadly attack on October 7, 2023.

India, the world’s most populous nation with 1.4 billion people, is majority Hindu, but an estimated 220 million Indians are Muslim.

It also maintains strong relations with Tehran, including developing its Chabahar port—a trade gateway to Afghanistan, where New Delhi has built a relationship with Taliban authorities.

India’s foreign ministry estimates there are usually around 10,000 Indian citizens in Iran.