New Delhi, March 28 (NationPress) The Airline Pilots' Association of India (ALPA) has formally requested that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) halt commercial flights to high-risk conflict zones in West Asia. They also emphasized the necessity for airlines to disclose and verify valid insurance coverage for their crew members. ALPA insists that this suspension should remain in effect until a comprehensive, centralized risk assessment is finalized.

The association calls for mandatory directives based on international best practices and intelligence inputs for any operations near active conflict zones.

ALPA has indicated that commercial airlines often lack the necessary intelligence, surveillance, and geopolitical risk assessment capabilities to adequately evaluate threats in active war zones. Relying on airlines for these assessments could lead to inconsistent safety standards.

In a letter addressed to the DGCA, the pilot body referenced past instances where civilian airlines were shot down amid conflicts, underscoring the danger posed to passengers and flight crews operating in West Asia.

“We previously brought this matter to the attention of the DGCA on March 18, prompting the agency to issue an Urgent Safety advisory on March 19. This advisory suggested that airlines conduct their own independent risk assessments, which raises serious concerns,” the letter stated.

However, ALPA argues that such assessments should be the responsibility of sovereign authorities and specialized agencies.

“Pilots have persistently sought clarity concerning the status and validity of their insurance coverage when flying into these high-risk areas. So far, no documented proof or formal assurances have been provided to confirm that their war risk insurance remains valid under these conditions,” the association highlighted.

ALPA speculated that this gap may stem from airlines lacking appropriate and sufficient insurance riders.

Historical events cited by ALPA include the downing of Iran Air Flight 655 by the U.S. during a similar conflict, the shooting of Libyan Arab Airlines Flight 114 by Israel, and the downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 by Iran.

The association has urged the DGCA to conduct a thorough investigation into the decision-making processes at Air India, particularly focusing on the roles of the Vice President - Operations and the Crew Scheduling Department.

As Air India continues its operations in West Asia, ALPA seeks accountability for potentially exposing crew and passengers to unacceptable risks, especially if it is found that adequate war risk insurance is lacking.