Industry Odisha Bureau, May 28: Since the West Asia crisis as well as the Hormuz hurdle has catapulted fuel costs, India’s aviation industry, that is claimed to be heavily dependent on the West Asian fight corridors has reportedly been hit hard owing to disrupted flight routes and rising operational problems.
The month of March came as a bolt from the blue for the Indian aviation industry for making a fortune from the West Asian flight corridors following the barrage of airstrikes launched days together by the joint forces of USA and Israel on bête noire Iran from the wee hours of February 28 this year.
Due to the escalation, the airspaces and airports in the West Asia or Gulf regions got closed following which international flights of the Indian aviation industry obviously got disrupted, while the flights to other international destinations via Middle East were forced to opt for circuitous and longer routes resulting in shouldering extra burden of fuel costs and other maintenance charges.
As per reported data, “March 2026 witnessed 21% fewer take-off of international flights from the Indian airports in comparison to March 2025. Out of the 37 international airports in India, 31 got adversely affected since those international airports recorded a dismal decline in flight operations to international destinations in March 2026 in comparison to March 2025.”
In this context, Kerala’s international flight operations could be taken into account. It is because, this southernmost Indian state has reportedly a major amount of migrant diaspora serving in the West Asia or Gulf regions.
As per the reported data, “Kerala’s Kozhikode International Airport recorded 54% fewer flight operations, while Thiruvananthapuram International Airport recorded 43% fewer flight operations and Kochi International Airport recorded 42% fewer flight operations.”
Even Air India has reportedly “reduced its flight operation’s frequency to certain international destinations for the upcoming months of June and August due to soaring fuel costs and other commercial viability causes.”
Due to hike in the airfares, Air India’s inland wing Air India Express is also reportedly “grappling with a decline in passenger flow,” while needless to mention the same pricks and pangs being experienced by others in the Indian aviation industry.
Reports further stated that the West Asia blow has rendered “Indian airlines registering a decline in the international traffic ranging between 19-66% in comparison to the global aviation industry.”
According to the analysts, “While the West Asia region accounted for 15% of global international Revenue Per Passenger Per Kilometer (RPK) in 2025, the unabated crisis that erupted on February 28 this year resulted in a drastic drop of 61% in the RPK in the very next month of March.”
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) despite being a major destination “accounting for about five million passengers and 26% share” for India’s international air route, there is reportedly no improvement even after two months due to the high fuel costs.
Since higher airfares due to the hike in fuel costs are compelling air passengers to drag their feet, analysts are of the view that receding oil prices and a lasting peace in the West Asis regions could only resolve the airfare problem as well as uplift the flight operations of Indian aviation industry with more passengers happy to afford and flow of more money to make the flight operators happy go lucky way.
