Indian low-cost carrier Akasa Air announced on 4 April that it is conducting a ‘live safety assessment’ with a view to restoring flights to Abu Dhabi after a three-week pause triggered by missile activity over the Gulf. While the airline is hopeful of a staged restart to Zayed International Airport as early as mid-April, it simultaneously prolonged its suspension of services to Doha, Riyadh and Kuwait until 12 April 2026. Akasa’s statement highlights the operational tightrope all Gulf-bound carriers are walking as the West Asia conflict continues to roil regional airspace. The carrier confirmed it is still operating Mumbai- and Bengaluru-to-Jeddah rotations, but only along southern air corridors cleared by India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation. Corporate travel buyers with India–UAE volume are being urged to activate waivers: Akasa will issue full refunds within seven days or rebook passengers at no charge. For mobility managers the implications are twofold. First, Abu Dhabi capacity could recover quicker than other Gulf gateways because the UAE has demonstrated robust missile-defence coverage, allowing insurers to sign off on narrower no-fly zones. Second, the extended blackout on Qatar, Saudi and Kuwait sectors squeezes already-tight seat supply for South-Asian labour traffic in the run-up to Eid, forcing employers to consider circuitous routings via Muscat or Manama. Akasa’s cautious rhetoric mirrors a broader recalibration among Indian carriers. IndiGo and Air India Express have likewise trimmed Gulf frequencies, citing war-risk premiums that have doubled since late February. Until European regulators decide whether to renew EASA Conflict-Zone Bulletin CZIB-2026-03-R5 on 10 April, no carrier is willing to commit to firm schedules beyond rolling 72-hour windows. Mobility practitioners should therefore build contingency budgets for last-minute rerouting, confirm that assignee travel insurance covers war-risk surcharges, and keep employees on flexible tickets. Akasa says further updates will be released ‘closer to 8 April’—an advisory date worth diarising for programme managers juggling crew changes and project mobilisations across the Gulf.
Source: The Economic Times
