Dubai has restricted foreign airlines to just one daily flight to its airports until May 31 due to the Iran crisis, affecting Indian carriers the most. Indian airlines had planned more flights than any other country, but the new restrictions will lead to revenue loss fears.
The Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) has asked India to push Dubai authorities to lift the curbs and consider reciprocal measures if necessary. Indian carriers are already under financial pressure due to higher fuel prices and longer routings to Western destinations.
The Dubai Airports said carriers would be allowed one round trip per day to Dubai International Airport (DXB) and the smaller Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) during the summer season between April 20 and May 31.
Indian carriers such as Air India, IndiGo, and SpiceJet have scheduled hundreds of flights into DXB, but the one-flight-per-day cap will significantly constrain their operations. IndiGo said its capacity and aircraft time are currently underutilized.
Other major airlines such as Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, and British Airways have cancelled all flights to Dubai until at least May 31 and are adding more non-stop Asia-Europe flights to take advantage of strong passenger demand.
