Easier visa norms add to SE Asia shift

Iran launched missile strikes on a US military base in Qatar, escalating the Iran-Israel conflict and triggering temporary airspace closures across Iraq, Jordan, and Syria.

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On Monday night, Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait also experienced partial closures. Indian carriers, including Air India and IndiGo, were forced to cancel, divert, or delay several flights, while Iran's airspace remained closed.

Air India, IndiGo, Akasa Air, and SpiceJet have issued advisories warning of continued disruption on routes to Europe and North America via West Asia.

As of February 2025, the UAE and Saudi Arabia were the top outbound destinations for Indian travellers, accounting for 27.1 per cent and 11.3 per cent, respectively, of the 2.4 million total travellers during the month, according to data from the Ministry of Tourism.