Mumbai, March 28: The Airline Pilots’ Association of India (ALPA India) has urged the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) to immediately suspend Air India's commercial flights into high-risk Gulf regions.
The association has threatened the regulator with moving to the court for its demand to direct the airline to disclose the pilots’ insurance coverage with war-risk clauses and an inquiry against the airline's vice president of operations and crew scheduling.
Concerns raised amid rising geopolitical tensions
The escalation comes amid worsening regional tensions involving the USA, Israel, and Iran. In a letter dated March 27, ALPA India raised concerns regarding the continued commercial operations by Air India into the Gulf region.
The union's president, Capt. Sam Thomas, argued that continuing operations in active war zones exposes passengers and crew to "catastrophic risks," citing historical precedents where civilian aircraft, including those of Iran Air, Libyan Arab Airlines and Ukraine International Airlines, were downed in the "fog of war."
Union rejects DGCA safety advisory
The pilots’ body rejected DGCA's safety advisory dated March 19, which advised airlines to conduct their own independent risk assessments. The union stated that commercial carriers lack the intelligence and geopolitical surveillance infrastructure necessary to evaluate active combat threats.
“Delegating this responsibility to individual operators not only creates inconsistencies in safety standards but also exposes flight crew and passengers to potentially catastrophic risks without a robust and uniform safety framework,” the letter stated, citing International Civil Aviation Association's rules.
Insurance transparency concerns highlighted
Beyond physical safety, the union highlighted a lack of transparency regarding war-risk insurance. Pilots have reportedly been seeking confirmation that their coverage remains valid when flying into high-risk zones, but the union claims no documentary evidence has been provided.
ALPA India suggested that airlines may currently lack suitable insurance riders, leaving crew members in a state of professional and financial anxiety regarding liability in the event of an incident.
Demand for urgent intervention and policy framework
The union has called for the ministry and the regulator's emergency intervention, urging an urgent review and suspension of operations in identified conflict zones.
It also requested the establishment of binding safety rules based on government intelligence rather than airline-level discretion. The pilots’ body has also demanded a mandate for airlines to provide verified proof of valid war-risk insurance clauses for all operating crew.
Call for inquiry into airline operations
Moreover, ALPA India demanded an inquiry into the decision-making processes of Air India's vice president of operations and crew scheduling department, to determine accountability for exposing crew and passengers to risks if found not to have adequate war-risk insurance.
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Legal action warning issued
The union has threatened the DGCA and the MoCA to pursue legal remedies and approach the court if the issues are not addressed with seriousness.
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