✈️ Middle East Airspace Reopens After Iran-Israel Ceasefire: Indian Airlines Respond

📅 Date: June 25, 2025

📰 Source: The Economic Times

After nearly two weeks of heightened tensions in the Middle East due to the Iran-Israel conflict, calm is returning to the skies. A formal ceasefire agreement between the two nations has led to the reopening of airspace across several key Gulf countries, including Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait.

🛫 What This Means for Indian Carriers:

Air India, IndiGo, and other Indian airlines have resumed or rerouted their flights over Middle Eastern airspace after temporary detours and delays.

Airlines are reporting reduced flying time and improved fuel efficiency, now that they can use direct air corridors over the Gulf again.

Sources indicate that normal operations to cities like Dubai, Tel Aviv, Doha, and Riyadh are expected to return within 48–72 hours.

💬 What Airlines Are Saying:

"We welcome the reopening of the airspace. It allows us to stabilize our Middle East and Europe operations, which had been disrupted for days," said a senior official from Air India.

IndiGo also confirmed that flight schedules to UAE and Saudi Arabia are being normalized and passengers are being informed about updated timings.

🔎 Background:

The 12-day airspace restrictions had caused delays and rerouting of many international flights, especially those from India to Europe and the Gulf.

Some flights had to take longer southern detours, increasing flight durations by up to 90 minutes.

🌐 Impact on Travelers:

Lower flight times and reduced ticket prices could follow in coming days.

Transit hubs like Doha, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi are expected to return to full operational strength quickly.

Passengers are advised to check with their airlines for real-time updates and rebookings if affected earlier.

📌 Conclusion:

The reopening of Middle Eastern airspace marks a major relief for both airlines and passengers. With geopolitical tensions cooling, the global aviation sector takes a hopeful breath — and Indian carriers are ready to rise back to cruising altitude.