News ₹500 crore hit: The US-Iran war grounds Indian airline profits. Abhishek Law, Dipali Banka5 min read1 Mar 2026, 08:25 PM ISTOver 850 flights have been cancelled as escalating US-Israel-Iran tensions disrupt West Asian airspace and halt regional flight operations.(Mint)SummaryExperts warn of sustained disruption, higher operating costs, and reduced cargo capacity due to the US-Iran war. Escalating tensions across West Asia have begun to strain the operations and finances of India’s top airlines, including IndiGo, the Air India group, Akasa Air, and SpiceJet, with experts estimating that airspace disruptions could result in revenue losses of around ₹500 crore for carriers. In a tweet on Saturday, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said Indian airlines cancelled around 410 flights on 28 February and 440 on 1 March due to security concerns in parts of the Middle East airspace, impacting Gulf and long-haul routes beyond the region, including services to London Heathrow and Canada. West Asia accounts for 15-20% of IndiGo’s daily revenue, according to at least one sell-side analyst.