Air India has announced the cancellation of nearly 100 international flights through July, becoming the latest casualty of a global aviation crisis triggered by the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran. The flag carrier’s chief executive, Campbell Wilson, informed staff this week that surging jet fuel prices—roughly doubled since the conflict erupted—combined with airspace closures across the Middle East and South Asia had rendered many routes “unprofitable to operate.” The airline, already burdened by losses exceeding Rs 22,000 crore in the last financial year, is now prioritising survival over connectivity, cutting services primarily to Europe and North America where longer, costlier detours have eroded margins.

Viewed from New Delhi, the deepening trouble at Air India reflects a broader regional disruption. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz—a chokepoint for energy shipments—has forced carriers to reroute flights and absorb fuel costs that were already climbing. Indian airlines, heavily reliant on imported aviation turbine fuel, have been particularly exposed. The emergency measures are expected to ripple across the summer travel calendar, stranding passengers and raising fares on remaining itineraries. Industry observers in the Gulf note that similar pressures are mounting on other Asian carriers, though Air India’s fragile financial position has made it the first major casualty.

In London, ministers are scrambling to shield British families from the fallout. Officials have quietly eased regulations to allow airlines to cancel more flights without penalty, a move intended to preserve capacity for peak-season holiday routes. The prime minister has publicly cautioned that Britons may need to rethink their “where they go on holiday” if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, signalling that the crisis is expected to persist. Critics argue that the regulatory flexibility amounts to a state-sanctioned reduction in service, but the government insists it is a pragmatic response to an external shock beyond any single country’s control.

Looking ahead, the fragmentation of international aviation appears set to accelerate. If fuel prices stay elevated and airspace restrictions continue, analysts in London warn that more carriers—especially in Asia and Europe—will be forced to trim schedules. The cost of flying, already inflated by post-pandemic recovery, is now being reshaped by geopolitical risk. Consumers face a summer of reduced choice and higher fares, while governments confront the uncomfortable reality that a conflict thousands of miles away can upend the most carefully planned holiday season. The crisis in the Strait of Hormuz is no longer just a military matter; it has become a test of global mobility’s resilience.