New Delhi
The Airline Pilots’ Association of India (ALPA) has called on the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to suspend commercial flight operations over high-risk conflict zones in West Asia, citing serious safety and insurance concerns for crew and passengers.
In a formal communication to the aviation regulator, ALPA urged that the suspension remain in place until a centralised and authoritative risk assessment is completed by competent agencies. The association also demanded that binding directives be issued in alignment with international best practices and intelligence inputs for operations in or near active conflict areas.
The pilot body expressed concern over the DGCA’s recent safety advisory issued on March 19, which advised airlines to conduct their own independent risk assessments. ALPA argued that such responsibility should not be delegated to commercial carriers, as they lack the necessary intelligence, surveillance, and geopolitical risk evaluation capabilities required to assess threats in active war zones. According to the association, leaving these assessments to individual airlines could lead to inconsistent safety standards across the industry.
ALPA further highlighted concerns regarding the lack of clarity on war risk insurance coverage for pilots operating in these regions. It noted that pilots have repeatedly sought confirmation about the validity of their insurance in high-risk zones, but no formal assurance or documentary evidence has been provided so far. The association suggested that this gap may stem from airlines not having adequate insurance provisions or riders in place to cover such extreme scenarios.
To underline the seriousness of the issue, ALPA cited past incidents where civilian aircraft were shot down during conflicts. These include the tragic cases of Iran Air Flight 655 shootdown, Libyan Arab Airlines Flight 114 shootdown, and Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 shootdown. The association warned that such incidents highlight the inherent risks of operating in volatile regions where military activities and misidentification can have catastrophic consequences. ALPA maintained that ensuring aviation safety in conflict zones is the responsibility of sovereign authorities and specialised agencies, not individual airlines.
