The rerouting of flight operations amid Iran-US tensions may increase flight time for some flights of Air India and Air India Express by 20-40 minutes but IndiGo operations are so far expected to be unaffected.

This will mean additional financial strain for the debt-ridden national carrier, which is currently preparing for a second attempt at its divestment. The airline is already burdened with a debt of around Rs 60,000 crore.

IndiGo clarified on Wednesday that it does not operate any flights over Iranian and Iraqi airspace, and hence does not expect its flights to the Middle-East or Turkey to be impacted.

IndiGo flies to Istanbul, Riyadh, Jeddah, Kuwait, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Muscat in the Middle East.

"The routes to Gulf operate through Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the Persian Gulf, while the routes to Turkey fly over the northern routes over the Caspian sea and head directly from there to Istanbul. Currently, our flights are operating as per normal schedule," India's largest airline said in a statement.

The airline also cautioned about slight time changes in operations which may arise due to a contingency. "...(changes) will be proactively communicated to our passengers through our regular channels," the airline added.

Low-cost carrier SpiceJet does not see any impact of the restrictions so far on its operations.

National carrier Air India's long-haul flights and Air India Express flights to the Middle East are likely to be affected.

"The Safety of our passengers and crew members comes first. In light of the tensions within the Iranian airspace a decision to temporarily reroute flights of Air India (AI) and Air India Express (AIX) overflying Iran has been taken. This may lead to an increase in flying time by approximately 20 minutes for flights from Delhi and 30 to 40 minutes for flights from Mumbai. The situation is being closely monitored," the airline spokesperson Dhananjay Kumar said.

The disruption was caused as relations between the US and Iran worsened after Iran launched several missiles at two Iraqi bases that housed US troops in retaliation for the US airstrike that killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani last week.

Indian airlines on Wednesday were advised to take alternative routes and avoid the region to the extent possible, the people added.

A similar restrictive advisory last year had affected 20 flights of Indian carriers, including two of IndiGo and nine each of Air India Express and Air India.

The rerouting had resulted in an increase in the operating cost of Air India Express by approximately Rs 22 lakh per day, of Air India flights by Rs 13 lakh per day and that of IndiGo by nearly Rs 2 lakh per day as the flying time increased by approximately 15 minutes.

The latest advisory from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) comes after the US regulator Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Wednesday issued an emergency directive prohibiting all its carriers from operating in Baghdad flight information region, Tehran flight information region and in the overwater airspace over the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. The ban has been ordered on account of heightened military activities and increased political tension in the Middle East.

Following this, several global carriers have also decided to avoid Iranian air space.

"In view of the latest developments in the region, all SIA flights in and out of Europe will not be flying over the Iranian airspace. We will continue to monitor the situation closely," Singapore Airlines said in a statement.

Air Canada, the only Canadian air carrier that operates in the region covered by the FAA NOTAM (notice to airmen), has also altered its routes to "ensure the security of its flights into and over the Middle East."

Last year, tensions had heightened when an Iranian surface-to-air missile shot down an American drone. IndiGo and Air India had to look for alternative routes to West Asia, Europe, and the US in view of the tensions. The airlines had to avoid overflying areas of the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman and Strait of Hormuz within Iranian Airspace to ensure safety.

First Published:Jan 8, 2020 5:54 PM IST