India’s three largest airlines — Air India, Air India Express and IndiGo — will restore full-scale operations at Hamad International Airport in Doha from May 1, Ada Derana reported, with the carriers citing the holding US-Iran ceasefire as the trigger for resumption.
The decision marks the first coordinated full-service return to a Gulf hub by Indian carriers since the West Asia conflict erupted with Operation Epic Fury, the joint US-Israeli campaign launched on February 28. All three airlines will reconnect Doha with metro and regional cities across India.
For Sri Lanka, the resumption matters in two ways. Doha is one of the largest transit nodes for Sri Lankan migrant workers travelling to and from the Gulf, and Indian carrier capacity through Hamad is a significant feeder for connections into Colombo. Earlier this week the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) had warned New Delhi the industry was on the verge of stopping over Hormuz fuel costs and airspace restrictions; the Doha restart is the clearest sign yet that operating conditions are easing.
The move comes against a fragile diplomatic backdrop. Brent crude has topped USD 120 a barrel on news that the Trump administration is preparing to extend the Iran blockade, and the United Arab Emirates has announced its departure from OPEC+ effective May 1. Pentagon officials have separately put the cost of the war at around USD 25 billion.
Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation officials and the Federation of Indian Airlines had been pushing through the past month for a graduated reopening of Gulf routes, contingent on the ceasefire holding and insurance underwriters resuming standard war-risk coverage on the Doha sector.
Source: Ada Derana.
