The Indian Airline Pilots Association (ALPA) has written to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) urging authorities to suspend operations in identified high-risk conflict zones in West Asia. Among other things, the pilot authority demanded publication of the mandate and verification of valid insurance coverage.
The pilots association also mentioned in the letter that “the current belligerents, the US, Israel and Iran have shot down civilian airlines in the fog of war of previous conflicts”.
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“Iran Air Flight 655 shot down by the US during a previous conflict under similar circumstances, Libyan Arab Airlines Flight 114 shot down by Israel, and Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 shot down by Iran,” ALPA added.
Here are the key points from ALPA’s letter to the DGCA:
1. In a letter to the DGCA, the pilots’ association expressed serious concern over “the continued operation of Air India’s commercial flights to areas of the Persian Gulf currently affected by the ongoing armed conflict”.
It said: “Operating flights into or in close proximity to an active war zone poses a serious and unacceptable risk to the safety of passengers, flight crew and aircraft. In our considered opinion, such a decision amounts to a deliberate endangerment of human life.”
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2. ALPA emphasized that commercial airlines do not have the necessary information to assess risks in regions of active conflict. The association emphasized that no formal assurance had been provided to confirm that it was adequate war risk insurance for pilots and crew members conducting operations in West Asia.
“Commercial airlines do not have the intelligence, surveillance capabilities, or geopolitical risk assessment infrastructure necessary to adequately evaluate threats in active conflict environments,” ALPA wrote.
“Such assessments fall squarely within the realm of sovereign authorities and specialized agencies. 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 unified safety framework,” the pilots’ association added.
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3. The letter read: “Furthermore, it is a matter of grave concern that pilots have actively sought clarification regarding the status and validity of their insurance coverage while operating in such high-risk zones…”
“To date, no documentary evidence or formal assurances have been provided to confirm that adequate war risk cover remains in force under these circumstances. This may be because the airlines do not have fully suitable and adequate insurance,” the pilots association said.
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4. ALPA has asked the DGCA to issue binding guidelines regarding operations in conflict areas and initiate a thorough investigation into the decision-making processes of Air India, which conducts its operations in West Asia.
The letter read: “In light of the above, we strongly request the Ministry of Civil Aviation and DGCA to:
> Check and suspend operations immediately into identified high-risk conflict zones until a centralized and authoritative risk assessment is carried out
> Establish clear, binding guidelines regarding operations in conflict areas, in accordance with international best practices and based on intelligence
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> Start a thorough investigation into decision-making processes within Air India, particularly the Vice President-Operations and Crew Scheduling Department roles, to determine responsibility for exposing crew and passengers to such risks, particularly if they are found to have insufficient war risk insurance.
> Order immediate disclosure and verification of valid insurance coverageincluding war risk clauses, for all crews operating in or near conflict areas. “This aspect should be clearly addressed in the next safety advisory issued after the expiry of the previous one,” it said.
The West Asian conflict began with Israeli-American strikes on Iran on February 28, which killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. As Iran retaliated, it widened the scope of the conflict and affected its neighbors in the region. The conflict disrupted airspace, leading to several cancellations and delays to flight schedules.
