What Happens When Airlines Cancel 15,400 Flights to West Asia | N18S

Added: 2026-04-28

[00:00:00]Over 15,400 flights to West Asia have been cancelled by Indian Airlines since February 28 when the West Asia conflict began.

[00:00:10]That's 2 months of disruption and a sharp drop in connectivity to Gulf routes. Airlines are now operating just 50 to 55 flights a day to the region compared to nearly 200 flights pre-conlict. The impact on passengers is also substantial. Over 13.6 Six lakh travelers have been affected due to cancellations, delays and rrooting. But beyond operations, there's a serious financial hit. Industry estimates suggest Indian Airlines could be staring at a revenue impact of over 6,000 cr just with the West Asia disruptions.

[00:00:44]That's also a conservative calculation.

[00:00:47]A typical India Gulf flight often operated by aircraft like the Airbus A320 or Boeing 737. Uh the narrow body planes carries around 150 passengers on average considering a load factor of 85%. With a fair of 18,000 rupees on an average and additional earnings from cargo, meals, seats and other ancillaries, airlines make roughly 40 lak rupees per flight. Multiply that with 15,400 flight cancellations since 20th February and the revenue at risk crosses 6,000 cr. And this does not even include higher fuel burn and costs from longer rrooting. So while flights are still operating, Indian airlines are now navigating both operational disruption and mounting financial pressure as the crisis continues.