India’s international aviation network shrank sharply in the first full quarter (April-June 2026) after the Iran war began, as the conflict disrupted flights across the Middle East and exposed how much Indian aviation still depends on Gulf hubs.
International passenger traffic to and from India fell about 9% to 17.2 million, according to new data from the Indian aviation regulator DGCA. Indian carriers fared far worse: their combined international traffic fell about 27% to 6.4 million.
For Indian aviation, the Middle East is not simply another international market. Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi, and Muscat are critical gateways for India’s large expatriate population and major connecting points to Europe, Africa, and North America.
When the Iran conflict triggered airspace restrictions across the region, the disruption quickly reached India. But the impact varied sharply from market to market.
Traffic between India and the UAE, the region’s bigges