Govt steps up crisis management as West Asia tensions impact aviation, energy
New Delhi, Apr 7: An inter-ministerial briefing at the National Media Centre was held, with representatives from the Ministries of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Civil Aviation, and External Affairs sharing updates on the country’s response to the ongoing conflict in West Asia that began in late February.
The briefing covered developments across aviation, fuel supply, maritime operations, and the safety of Indian nationals in the Gulf region.
On the aviation front, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said the Indian aviation sector is navigating a serious operational and financial situation triggered by the West Asia conflict. Several countries, including Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and the UAE, have imposed airspace closures or severe restrictions, causing unprecedented disruption to global aviation networks. Despite these constraints, Indian carriers have maintained services from the region. However, flights to Europe and North America are now taking longer routes, increasing travel time considerably.
To keep domestic airfares stable, the government intervened in Aviation Turbine Fuel pricing. Since ATF constitutes around 40 percent of airline operating costs, the timely intervention has helped prevent a spike in domestic ticket prices. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has also temporarily relaxed pilot flight duty time limitations to manage crew shortages arising from extended routes. Additionally, foreign carriers including Emirates, Kuwait Airways, and Jazeera Airways have been granted special dispensation to operate passenger aircraft for all-cargo services, ensuring continuity of critical cargo movement.
On the energy front, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said domestic LPG cylinder deliveries remain normal, with no dry-outs reported at any distributorship. Online LPG bookings have risen to around 96 percent across the industry, while Delivery Authentication Code-based deliveries have increased to approximately 90 percent to prevent diversion. Citizens have been advised against panic buying of petrol, diesel, and LPG, and urged to rely only on official sources for information.
The government has implemented several supply and demand rationalisation measures, including enhancing refinery production, increasing the booking interval from 21 to 25 days in urban areas and up to 45 days in rural areas, and making alternate fuels such as kerosene and coal available to ease pressure on LPG demand. The Ministry of Coal has directed Coal India and Singareni Collieries to supply additional coal to states for distribution to small and medium consumers.
To support migrant labourers, the government has doubled the daily quantity of 5 kg Free Trade LPG cylinders available for disbursal in each state, beyond the earlier 20 percent limit. Public sector oil marketing companies organised around 1,300 awareness camps for 5 kg FTL cylinders over the past four days. On April 6 alone, more than 1.06 lakh 5 kg FTL cylinders were sold across the country, against a daily average of 77,000 in February. Since March 23, around 7.8 lakh such cylinders have been sold in total.
Enforcement actions against hoarding and black marketing continue across the country. More than 4,300 raids were conducted on April 6, with over 1,200 cylinders seized. PSU oil marketing companies have issued more than 1,700 show-cause notices, imposed penalties on 168 LPG distributorships, and suspended 45 distributorships. All states and union territories have established control rooms and district monitoring committees, with 24 states and UTs currently issuing regular press briefings.
On the retail fuel front, the government has reduced excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 10 per litre to protect consumers from the sharp rise in crude prices caused by the Middle East crisis. An export levy of Rs 21.5 per litre on diesel and Rs 29.5 per litre on ATF has been imposed to ensure adequate domestic availability. Retail prices of petrol and diesel remain unchanged.
On natural gas and PNG, priority sectors continue to receive protected supplies, including 100 percent supply to domestic PNG and CNG transport. Gas supply to operating urea plants is currently around 80 percent of their six-month average consumption. Supply to other industrial and commercial sectors, including City Gas Distribution networks, has been enhanced by a further 10 percent effective April 6. Since March 2026, around 3.76 lakh PNG connections have been gasified and approximately 4.1 lakh customers have registered for new connections. More than 16,500 PNG consumers have surrendered their LPG connections through the MYPNGD.in website.
The government has also notified the Natural Gas and Petroleum Products Distribution Order, 2026 under the Essential Commodities Act, providing a streamlined, time-bound framework for laying and expanding pipelines across the country. The Ministry of Defence has issued a short-term policy modification till June 30 to expedite PNG infrastructure installation in defence residential areas, while PNGRB has extended the National PNG Drive 2.0 till June 30 to sustain expansion momentum.
On the maritime front, all Indian seafarers in the region are safe and no incident involving Indian-flagged vessels has been reported in the past 24 hours. Sixteen Indian-flagged vessels with 433 Indian seafarers remain in the western Persian Gulf region, with the Directorate General of Shipping coordinating closely with ship owners, RPSL agencies, and Indian missions to monitor the situation. The DG Shipping Control Room, operational round the clock since activation, has handled 5,342 calls and 11,053 emails, including 229 calls and 406 emails in the last 24 hours. So far, over 1,691 Indian seafarers have been repatriated, including 92 in the last 24 hours. Port operations across India continue normally with no congestion reported.
On the welfare of Indian nationals, the Ministry of External Affairs said around 7,60,000 passengers have travelled from the Gulf and West Asia region to India since February 28. A dedicated MEA Special Control Room continues to operate in coordination with missions and posts across the region, with 24/7 helplines active across all missions. Indian ambassadors are regularly engaging with community associations, professional groups, and Indian companies to address concerns.
In the UAE, airlines continue to operate limited non-scheduled commercial flights, with around 90 flights expected to operate to India on Tuesday. Flights continue from airports in Saudi Arabia and Oman. Qatar airspace remains partially open, with Qatar Airways expected to operate 8 to 10 flights to India. Kuwait and Bahrain airspace remain closed, with Jazeera Airways, Kuwait Airways, and Gulf Air operating non-scheduled flights from Dammam Airport in Saudi Arabia.
The Embassy of India in Tehran has facilitated the movement of 1,862 Indian nationals from Iran to Armenia and Azerbaijan for onward travel to India, including 935 students and 472 fishermen. Travel of Indian nationals is also being facilitated through alternative transit routes — from Israel via Egypt and Jordan, and from Iraq and Kuwait via Saudi Arabia.
