West Asia Tensions: Amid escalating tensions in West Asia, India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), on Thursday, March 19, has advised airlines to avoid certain airspaces in the Gulf region and implement robust contingency plans as part of enhanced safety risk assessments.
Which Gulf airspaces have DGCA asked airlines to avoid?
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has asked airlines to avoid the airspaces of Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to an advisory.
DGCA Lifts Restrictions: Indian airlines allowed to fly over Oman and Saudi Arabia airspace with conditions
Indian airlines can operate flights over Oman and Saudi Arabia airspaces, subject to certain conditions, the regulator said.
It told the airlines not to operate below FL 320 or 32,000 feet within the airspace of Saudi Arabia and Oman, located south of the segments defined by following compulsory reporting points.
DGCA advises airlines to avoid 9 airspaces, allowing operations only after safety risk assessment
About the nine airspaces, the DGCA asked airlines to “refrain from operating within the affected airspace…at all flight levels and altitudes”.
Any continued operations would be at the discretion of the operator based on their safety risk assessment, it added.
“Operations to airports in the affected region, where other international carriers are currently operating, must involve robust contingency planning to cover all eventualities, as part of the safety risk assessments by the operators,” the DGCA said.
The advisory, the regulator said, was effective immediately and would remain valid until March 28, unless reviewed or superseded by further developments.
“Operators are advised to provide their flight crew with information regarding the latest NOTAMs, airspace restrictions affecting flights that are already airborne,” it said.
NOTAM refers to Notice to Airmen, which provides real-time updates about airspace and airports to pilots and crew.
“Recent military strikes conducted by the United States and Israel against targets within Iranian territory have led to a high-risk environment for civil aviation. In response to these strikes, Iran has announced retaliatory measures,” DGCA said and added that the current situation presents critical hazards to civil flight operations.
