Aviation Setback: Impact of West Asia Conflict on Air India
The aviation sector, particularly Air India, faces operational challenges due to the West Asia conflict, resulting in longer flights, higher costs, and crew shortages. Manish Puri, Head of Global Sales at Air India, highlighted these issues at the WION ICONIC Travel & Tourism Summit 2026.
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- India
An official from Air India sounded the alarm over the increasing disruptions caused by the ongoing West Asia conflict, impacting the aviation industry significantly. According to the official, flights are experiencing longer durations, leading to escalated operational costs and constraints on crew availability.
During the WION ICONIC Travel & Tourism Summit 2026, Manish Puri, Head of Global Sales for Air India and Air India Express, revealed, “The challenges for Air India extend beyond just airspace closures. With the Middle East crisis, flights to Europe and the US are now facing increased journey times, exacerbating fuel expenses and crew limitations.”
Addressing the audience, Puri pointed out a critical shortage of cockpit and cabin crew, as crew can only fly a specific number of hours. With flights extending from 13 to 17-18 hours, airlines are reducing flight frequencies to maintain schedule integrity. This issue, combined with geopolitical tensions, has crippled long-haul and leisure travel, with significant ramifications for the key US market, he concluded.
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