While most Gulf airspace has reopened after the recent Iran–Israel flare-up, airlines remain cautious and capacity on key Indian routes is only inching back. An ET Infra analysis published at 15:37 IST on 14 July notes that Lufthansa and SWISS have postponed Dubai services until mid-September, while British Airways now targets early-August for Doha and Riyadh resumptions. Air France, by contrast, quietly restored daily Paris–Dubai flights last week, and Turkish subsidiary SunExpress will relaunch Antalya–Dubai tomorrow. Indian carriers IndiGo and Air India continue to operate, but have added fuel and crew reserves to allow rerouting over the Arabian Sea should fresh hostilities close Iranian FIRs. The patchwork has practical consequences. A Mumbai executive heading to a Riyadh project may now face a two-stop itinerary via Muscat; corporate travel desks need to build extra layover buffers and monitor Dynamic Reroute Advisories issued by Eurocontrol. Travel-risk firms recommend that employers capture real-time location data for staff in transit and pre-clear any critical movements through third-country hubs such as Doha or Kuwait. The article also warns of fare volatility: with premium-cabin supply still 18 % below April levels, average India–Gulf business fares are up 27 % year-on-year. Freight yields have risen too, complicating time-sensitive shipments for pharma exporters in Hyderabad and Ahmedabad. Best practice: reissue ticketing guidelines that require travellers to reconfirm flights 24 hours before departure, revisit MICE event dates set for Dubai through September and budget contingency funds for hotel over-nights if connections mis-align.
Source: Economic Times Infra
