On January 27, 2026, IndiGo (6E), India’s largest airline, announced the cancellation of scheduled flights to and from Tbilisi (TBS), Almaty (ALA), Baku (GYD) and Tashkent (TAS) until February 11, 2026. The airline cited evolving developments around Iran and the resulting aviation safety concerns.
The four routes normally rely on airspace in the region, meaning that avoiding Iranian airspace can force aircraft onto longer alternative routings. For IndiGo, the resulting operational constraints have made the affected services difficult to maintain under the existing schedule.
Rationale Behind IndiGo’s Cancellations: Airspace and Safety Concerns
IndiGo’s cancellation announcement explicitly cited evolving developments around Iran as the catalyst for suspending flights to the aforementioned cities until at least February 11, 2026. The carrier stressed that customer and crew safety remains its highest priority, leading to a ‘cautious and proactive’ approach in revising flight schedules.
Routes to the affected destinations normally traverse Iranian airspace, which has become increasingly volatile due to broader Middle Eastern tensions involving Iran and external actors.
The affected services are operated with narrowbody aircraft, and avoiding Iranian airspace can substantially increase routing distance and fuel requirements. The resulting alternatives may therefore be operationally impractical under IndiGo’s existing schedules and payload requirements.
| Destination | IATA code | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Tbilisi | TBS | Suspended |
| Almaty | ALA | Suspended |
| Baku | GYD | Suspended |
| Tashkent | TAS | Suspended |
Geopolitical and Airspace Context: Iran Tensions and Aviation Safety
The cancellations come against the backdrop of broader aviation risk advisories and airspace restrictions linked to heightened tensions in and around Iran. During the Israel-Palestine conflict, the Ben Gurion airport was shut down too.
In mid‑January 2026, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued a Conflict Zone Information Bulletin (CZIB) to “share information which is considered necessary to ensure the safety of flights over zones of interest and indicate areas of high risk.”
Operators are advised not to operate within the Tehran Flight Information Region (OIIX) given potential threats to civilian aircraft. Civil aviation regulators globally have emphasized heightened caution and the need for contingency flight planning to mitigate uncertain conditions.
EASA also notes that should a U.S. intervention occur, the risk of retaliatory measures against U.S. assets in the region cannot be ruled out. Such developments could introduce additional hazards to the airspace of neighbouring countries where U.S. military bases are located.
EASA Recommendations to Air Operators
| Recommendation area | Paraphrased guidance |
|---|---|
| Iranian airspace | Air operators are advised not to conduct operations within Iranian airspace, FIR Tehran (OIIX), at any altitude or flight level |
| Neighbouring regions | Operators should apply caution and establish contingency plans when operating in or routing through nearby airspace, particularly in areas hosting U.S. military bases |
| Situational awareness | Airlines should closely track regional airspace developments and comply with all relevant aeronautical publications, including information shared through the European Information Sharing and Cooperation Platform on Conflict Zones, as well as guidance from national authorities |
Flight Details of IndiGo’s Cancelations: An Operational Advantage to Competitors?
IndiGo operates its A320neo on flights to Tashkent out of Mumbai. IndiGo has a total of 172 aircraft of this type in its fleet, and data from planespotters.net suggests that these are 4.6 years old.
| Route | IndiGo status | Competing nonstop carrier |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi–Tbilisi | Suspended | — |
| India–Almaty | Suspended | Air Astana |
| India–Baku | Suspended | Azerbaijan Airlines |
| India–Tashkent | Suspended | Uzbekistan Airways |
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