crash in Ahmedabad, a bomb scare causing emergency landing of a Phuket-Delhi flight, and several flight diversions due to Iranian airspace closure after Israel attack… An unprecedented wave of disruptions in two days has spooked Indian air travellers, with many seeking to reschedule their trips in the near term, travel companies say.Many business and leisure travellers have taken to social media for queries and rescheduling requests.
On Friday, Air India diverted or recalled at least 16 flights on transatlantic and European routes as Iran closed its airspace after Israel launched an attack targeting its nuclear and military sites.
The flights included the AI130 London Heathrow-Mumbai flight that was being diverted to Vienna and the AI102 New York-Delhi flight that was being diverted to Sharjah.
In a statement, Air India also stated the AI103 Delhi-Washington flight was returning to Delhi, the AI188 Vancouver-Delhi flight was diverting to Jeddah, and the AI132 London Heathrow-Bengaluru flight was being diverted to Sharjah.
The Tata Group airline said alternative arrangements are being made to fly passengers to their destinations, noting that it is providing accommodation where needed to minimise disruption.This comes just a day after the deadly crash of an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner in Ahmedabad that killed at least 265 people.Many travellers are posting queries and concerns on social media.
“I have a flight to London tomorrow AI129 from Mumbai to London. Can you please let me know if the flight will go ahead or not? Please let me know,” one Karan Awasthi posted on X tagging Air India. In a subsequent post a few hours later, he said: “What the hell! Can't you reply to genuine concerns?”
Another user, Jenny claimed that flight AI130, which was diverted to Vienna, was heading to Milan instead. “My husband is onboard. No food provided. No clear updates. What’s going on?” she wrote.
Ravi Gosain, president of Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), said the uncertainty around airspace closures, flight delays and rerouting will likely remain prevalent for the foreseeable future due to the Israel-Iran conflict, making planning and executing trips more “complex”.
“We also heard about a flight from Phuket to Delhi being diverted due to a bomb threat. Incidents like these, combined with the ongoing geopolitical tensions, create a ripple effect across the global travel ecosystem,” Gosain said. “If instability around geopolitical tensions persists, the long-term effects on consumer confidence and global mobility could be significant,” he warned.
Travel agencies said they are busy fielding queries and rescheduling requests from people scheduled to travel in the coming few days, with many also raising concerns about the safety of Boeing aircraft following media reports.
“Customers are asking for model numbers and aircraft details of flights following Thursday’s crash. Even we don’t have the details at times and have to research on these,” said Kapil Jain, cofounder and chief executive of Fly Divine Travels. “A customer in Dubai had booked an Air India return flight for June 16 and the aircraft is Boeing. He is now asking us if we can put him on another flight with a different aircraft.”
Many people planning long-haul international trips are instead “considering short-haul domestic journeys because of the geopolitical uncertainties,” he added.
Gaurav Yadav, managing director of Cityline group of companies that has interests in the telecom and real estate sectors, told ET that he was worried about his upcoming flight from Bagdogra to Delhi on Monday. “It’s a Boeing 737 Max and the carrier is Air India. Concerns have been repeatedly raised about Air India and the quality of its airplanes, and I am worried,” he said.
Travel firms Cox & Kings, Thomas Cook India and SOTC Travel are working with airline partners to address customer concerns and requests amid a rise in rescheduling requests following unscheduled layovers and, in some cases, overnight delays.
But there is no cause for concern or panic just yet, Cox & Kings director Karan Aggarwal said. “Airlines have activated their irregular operations protocols and are offering hotel stays, alternative connections, or refunds where applicable,” he added.
Abraham Alapatt, president and group head for marketing, service quality, value added services, and innovation for Thomas Cook and SOTC, said they are supporting their customers via their central tour management team in India and tour managers on ground.
Hari Ganapthy, cofounder at Pickyourtrail, said recent flight-linked developments have caused some apprehension among travellers. “The closure of Iranian airspace has added a layer of uncertainty for those with imminent departures to the West. We have seen some cancellations and queries coming in for trips planned for Sri Lanka and Bali as well,” he added.
