Aviation min asks airlines to carry out risk assessment on flight ops

AMID ESCALATING tensions in West Asia, the civil aviation ministryhas asked airlines to carry out their own risk assessment on international flight operations.

Air India, Vistara, Indigo and various international airlines have opted for alternative flight paths to the West and are avoiding the Iranian airspace against the backdrop of tensions flaring up between Iran and Israel.

Civil Aviation Secretary Vumlunmang Vualnam on Tuesday said that airlines have been asked to make their own risk assessment with respect to their flight operations.

The directorate general of civil Aviation (DGCA) is handholding and interacting with the airlines, and also in touch with the external affairs ministry, he added.

The secretary was responding to a query on whether there is an advisory by the ministry or the DGCA to airlines amid the crisis in West Asia.

Air India is operating some of its international flights on alternative flight paths to and from India, and vista ra has also made changes to flight paths for some of its flights due to the West Asia situation.

Also, air india has temporarily suspended its flights to Tel Aviv.

The alternative flight paths have increased the duration of some of the international flights by around half an hour.

About the West Asia crisis, Suprio Banerjee, Vice President & Sector Head, Corporate Ratings at ICRA, said commercial airlines may have to take a longer route in order to comply with no-fly regulations, leading to higher fuel expenses .“This will also impact internationalair travel to the directly affected and potentially affected nearby geographies during the upcoming summer holiday season if the issue persists,” Banerjee said.