UAE, Qatar, Kuwait & more: DGCA asks airlines to avoid 9 airspaces amid escalating Middle East tensions | India News
New Delhi: Civil aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Thursday directed airlines to avoid nine airspaces in the war-torn Gulf region and prepare robust contingency plans, citing heightened risks following the ongoing conflict in the region.In an advisory, the DGCA asked carriers to clear the airspace of Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.Indian airlines may continue to operate over Oman and Saudi Arabia subject to conditions. The regulator states that flights must not operate below FL 320 or 32,000 feet in certain parts of this airspace.Regarding the nine airspaces, the DGCA has asked airlines to “refrain from operating … at all flight levels and altitudes within the affected airspaces”.
Any continued operations will be at the operator’s discretion based on their safety risk assessment, it added.According to news agency PTI, the DGCA said, “Operations at airports in affected areas, where other international carriers are currently operating, operators should include robust contingency plans to cover all eventualities as part of security risk assessment.”The advisory is effective immediately and will remain valid until March 28 unless reviewed or revoked.“Operators are advised to provide their flight crew with the latest notum, information on airspace restrictions affecting already airborne flights,” it said.NOTAMs, or Notices to Airmen, provide real-time updates on airspace and airport conditions.“Recent military strikes by the US 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,” the DGCA said, adding that the situation poses a serious threat to civil flight operations.
