Civil Aviation Ministry sets up control room amid Middle East tensions

India's Civil Aviation Ministry has set up a 24x7 control room after the DGCA issued a safety advisory for Indian airlines. The warning addresses heightened risks in Middle East airspace due to escalating geopolitical tensions and military strikes.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has set up a 24x7 Passenger Assistance Control Room to review preparedness in view of the evolving airspace restrictions over Iran and parts of the Middle East.

DGCA Issues Urgent Safety Advisory

Earlier on Saturday, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued an urgent safety advisory to all Indian air operators, warning of heightened risks to civil aviation in the Middle East and Persian Gulf airspace following a sharp escalation in regional tensions.

The advisory was issued on Saturday after a review of the Conflict Zone Information Bulletin (CZIB No.: 2026-03) published by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). It cautioned that recent military strikes conducted by the United States and Israel against targets in Iran have created a high-risk operating environment for civil aircraft.

According to the DGCA, Iran has announced retaliatory measures, raising concerns over potential spill-over risks to civilian aviation.

Key Hazards Highlighted

The regulator flagged several critical hazards, including possible retaliatory attacks affecting Iranian airspace and neighbouring states, the presence of advanced weaponry such as cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, all-altitude air defence systems and military air assets, as well as the risk of misidentification of civilian aircraft or operational errors during military interception procedures.

"The current situation presents the following critical hazards to civil flight operations: Retaliatory Actions: Potential attacks against U.S. and Israeli assets in the region, affecting both Iranian airspace and neighboring states; Weaponry Capabilities: The presence of all-altitude capable air-defense systems, cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and military air assets; Operational Errors: High probability of "spill-over" risks, including misidentification of civil aircraft, miscalculation, or failure of military interception procedures," the advisory read.

Escalating Geopolitical Tensions

This comes amid heightened geopolitical tensions following military strikes involving Israel and the United States targeting Iranian sites. Iran has also carried out strikes in the region, apparently targeting US military baes. The escalation has led to temporary airspace closures in parts of West Asia, forcing airlines worldwide to reassess routes that traditionally pass through or near affected corridors. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)