New Delhi: A Crises Management Group (CMG) meeting was chaired by Civil Aviation Minister Shahnawaz Hussain on March 20 afternoon to review the aviation scenario in view of the security situation in West Asia following the US attack on Iraq.

Top officials of Directorate General Of Civil Aviation, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the Ministry officials reviewed the situation following the air raids and missile attacks by US-led forces on Iraq.

The sources said the meeting also took note of the stand taken by International Air Transport Association (IATA) and International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to put in place an alternative route structure to allow aircraft to circumvent the conflict zone.

Earlier, Hussain had told reporters that Air India and Indian Airlines were still operating its normal schedule to Gulf countries, especially to Kuwait, Amman and Bahrain, as the airspace had not yet been closed due to the war, which began early on March 20.

"So long as the airspace over Gulf is open to traffic, they will continue to operate their normal schedule to these places," he said, stressing there had been no suspension of flights to Gulf stations as yet.

IATA and IACO have decided that the diversion due to the ongoing war would have to be from further West of Iran and avoiding Turkey, which would mean a shift of about 200 nautical miles and an additional flying time of 70 minutes. Due to this, the additional fuel consumption was estimated to be worth Rs 15 lakh per aircraft per flight.

PTI