Indian airlines cancel 278 int'l flights; scheduled to operate 96 services to Middle East on Fri
New Delhi (PTI): Domestic airlines are scheduled to operate 96 flights to and from the Middle East on Friday while the carriers have cancelled 278 international services for the day, the government said on Friday amid the conflict in the region.
The situation in the Middle East has disrupted flight operations as there are restrictions as well as closure of airspaces. Some airlines have commenced limited operations to and from the region, where the conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran has escalated in the last few days.
The civil aviation ministry on Friday said due to the ongoing developments in West Asia and the resulting airspace restrictions, flight operations have been impacted across several sectors.
"A total of 96 flight operations were scheduled today by Indian domestic carriers to and from destinations in the Middle East. As of 6 March, 278 flights scheduled to be operated today by Indian domestic carriers have been cancelled," it said in a statement.
Earlier in the day, officials said more than 140 international flights were cancelled in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, and Kolkata airports on Friday due to the Middle East crisis.
They said at least 142 flights were cancelled at the four airports, with 39 departures and 34 arrivals cancelled at the Mumbai airport.
While the total flight cancellations at the Bangalore airport were 33, including 15 departures and 18 arrivals, at the Delhi airport 15 departures and 14 arrivals were cancelled.
A total of seven flights -- four departures and three arrivals -- have been cancelled at the Kolkata airport, according to the officials.
Akasa Air said it would operate the Mumbai-Jeddah-Mumbai flight on Friday.
The airline, on Saturday, would operate flights from Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Kochi to Jeddah, it said in a post on X.
SpiceJet said it will operate 14 special flights from the UAE to bring back stranded passengers.
With the airspaces over Saudi Arabia and Oman remaining open and assessed as safe for operations, Air India and Air India Express have resumed services to and from Jeddah and Muscat, Air India said in a statement on Thursday.
Air India group's scheduled operations to and from other points in West Asia have been suspended until March 10 due to the continuing airspace closures over multiple other countries in the West Asia.
Meanwhile, the ministry has advised passengers to keep a close watch on the latest flight updates and remain attentive to communication shared by their respective airlines through registered contact details.
The Passenger Assistance Control Room (PACR), at the ministry, is coordinating with airlines and other stakeholders to address issues.
"So far, 1,881 passenger grievances have been addressed through AirSewa, social media platforms and helpline calls," the ministry said in the statement.
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Rajnath Singh chairs IGoM meet, urges constant vigil over West Asia crisis
New Delhi (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday emphasised the need for round-the-clock monitoring of the West Asia conflict and called for a calibrated response to deal with any eventuality to ensure that national interests remain protected.
Singh made the comments while chairing a high-level meeting of the Informal Group of Ministers (IGoM) set-up to monitor the situation in West Asia.
The meeting was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Power Minister Manohar Lal, Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister J P Nadda, Consumer Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi and Minister of Railways, Information and Broadcasting, Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw.
In view of the "uncertain situation", the defence minister underlined the importance of round-the-clock monitoring of the situation and the need to respond in a calibrated manner to deal with any eventuality, an official readout said.
He stressed on the need to leave no stone unturned to ensure that the people of the country face the minimum effect of the conflict, it said.
It was the second meeting of the IGoM after it was set up last month.
The IGoM was apprised of the measures being taken by the government in the wake of the ongoing West Asia conflict, Singh said on social media.
"We also deliberated upon the next steps to be taken by the government to mitigate any adverse impact arising due to the ongoing conflict," he said.
The defence ministry said in the readout said, "In the meeting, the seven empowered groups of secretaries briefed the IGoM on the steps being taken to tackle the situation."
"The IGoM was apprised about measures undertaken by the Ministry of Finance to address concerns arising due to global trade disruptions and provide relief and support to the industry, especially manufacturing, and bolster investor confidence," it said.
It listed measures including notification issued on Wednesday on full customs duty exemption on 40 critical petrochemical products till June 30.
The ministry also mentioned announcement of a special one-time relief measure for eligible units in SEZs to sell manufactured goods in Domestic Tariff Area (DTA) at concessional customs duty rates to be effective from April 1 to March 31.
It also noted another notification issued by the Department of Revenue clarifying that the provisions of GAAR (General Anti Avoidance Rules) will not be invoked in respect of investments made prior to April 1, 2017.
"These measures will reduce cost pressures on downstream sectors including textiles, packaging and pharmaceuticals, facilitate supply stability in the country and provide requisite clarity for investors contemplating investments in India," the readout said.
Defence Minister Singh appreciated the government's decision to impose a 25 per cent cap on the monthly increase in aviation turbine fuel prices for domestic operations, with effect from April 1.
This step will help protect the people from sudden increase in fares, he said.
The government has accorded highest priority to domestic LPG supply, with refinery production enhanced to fully meet consumption requirements, according to the readout.
"The IGoM was informed that there have been no reports of dry-out at LPG distributorships, and delivery of domestic LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) cylinders continues as per the normal schedule. The temporary supply concerns arose due to instances of hoarding and black marketing, which triggered panic buying in certain areas," it said.
The ministers were informed that strict enforcement action is being undertaken, with raids being carried out across multiple states and Union territories to curb hoarding and black marketing of LPG, the ministry said in the readout.
Action has also been taken against some LPG distributors who engaged in malpractices, it said.
"To support migrant labour and low-consumption households, the government is ensuring adequate availability of 5 kg free trade LPG cylinders, and since March 23, over 4.3 lakh such cylinders have been sold. Special focus is being given to states where demand is higher," it said.
The IGoM was apprised that industrial requirements dependent on commercial LPG are being met, with over 80 per cent of pre-crisis supply levels being maintained to ensure continuity of operations.
"Special meetings have been held with ministries and stakeholders of different industries to understand their demand and meet their needs. Oil PSUs are ensuring continued supply of Auto LPG across the country," the readout noted.
"However, some supply constraints are being faced by private operators due to their procurement challenges, which is why lines are being observed at PSU auto LPG pumps. Wherever the autos are dual feed and can use petrol, they are being encouraged to use petrol," it said.
