Air India, owned by the Tata Group, has suspended its Delhi to Moscow flight due to concerns raised by international insurance underwriters about the threat perception in Russia. The underwriters conveyed to the airline that its flights landing in Russia would not be valid for insurance. Two sources familiar with the situation informed The Indian Express of this development.
One of the sources stated that Air India has sought the intervention of the Indian government to facilitate the resumption of flights to Moscow as soon as possible.
In an official statement, an Air India spokesperson confirmed the cancellation of the April 7th return flight on the Moscow-Delhi route. However, flight tracking data from Flightradar24 revealed that the airline had also cancelled the April 3 service. Air India typically renews the insurance for its flights and aircraft at the beginning of each financial year on April 1. The airline usually purchases insurance cover from Indian reinsurers such as New India Assurance, National Insurance Company, Oriental Insurance Company, and United India Insurance Company, which are underwritten by international companies, including some UK-based firms.
Airlines acquire insurance covers to protect themselves against significant losses in the event of an incident or accident involving their aircraft. Each insurance cover is customized for a specific airline and is generally provided by a consortium of reinsurers and underwriters.
Air India’s Delhi-Moscow service was the only direct air connection between the two countries, as Russian airline Aeroflot had cancelled all its international flights except to Belarus. However, Air India is still able to overfly Russia for its US flights, which comes as a relief for the airline.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the West sanctioned the country’s aviation, leading to the suspension of services operated by European and American carriers. Russia’s airlines were also prohibited from using foreign airspace. Despite these sanctions, Air India, along with some Chinese carriers, continued to operate flights to Russia.
Furthermore, while airlines from the US and Canada stopped using Russian airspace, Air India continued to overfly Russia for its flights between India and the US, utilizing the shorter North Pole route.
A source clarified that the insurance companies have only raised concerns about aircraft landing in Russia, not about overflying Russian airspace. Therefore, Air India’s other flights to the US that fly over Russia are still operating normally.
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