The Airline Pilots Association of India (ALPA) has written to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Civil Aviation Secretary, raising serious concerns over the continued operation of commercial flights through active conflict zones like the Gulf.
In a letter seen by NDTV Profit, ALPA said commercial airlines do not possess the necessary intelligence and surveillance infrastructure to independently assess evolving threats in active war zones. The association warned that pilots have been repeatedly seeking clarity on the status and validity of their insurance coverage while operating in such high-risk regions.
According to ALPA, no documentary evidence or formal assurance has so far been provided to confirm that adequate war-risk insurance coverage remains valid for crew members operating in or near conflict zones.
The Iran war broke out on Feb. 28 when US and Israel launched air and missile attacks against the Islamic Republic. Tehran retaliated with large-scale missile and drone attacks across Gulf Arab neighbours and Israel. The aerial combat and missile exchange have led to airspace closure across the region and impacted operations to the region and to the West for Indian carriers.Â
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The pilots’ body also pointed to past incidents in which civilian aircraft were shot down during periods of heightened conflict, noting that current belligerents — the US, Israel and Iran — have been involved in such incidents in previous wars. These include Iran Air Flight 655, which was shot down by the US Navy in 1988, Libyan Arab Airlines Flight 114, downed by Israel in 1973, and Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752, which was shot down by Iran in 2020.
Policy Suggestions
In light of the worsening security situation, ALPA has urged the DGCA and the Ministry of Civil Aviation to immediately review and suspend operations into identified high-risk conflict zones until a centralised and authoritative risk assessment is conducted, based on credible intelligence inputs.
The association has also called for clear and binding directives governing operations in conflict regions, aligned with international best practices.
Additionally, ALPA has sought a thorough inquiry into decision-making processes within Air India, particularly examining the roles of the Vice President (Operations) and the Crew Scheduling Department. The inquiry, ALPA said, should determine accountability for exposing crew and passengers to potential risks, especially if it is found that adequate war-risk insurance coverage was not in place. The pilots’ body further demanded immediate disclosure and verification of valid insurance policies, including war-risk clauses, for all crew operating into or near conflict zones.
ALPA said this issue should be explicitly addressed in the next safety advisory issued by the regulator following the expiry of the previous one.
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