India, Oman and UAE to Establish Trilateral Technical Committee

India, Oman and the UAE will establish a technical trilateral committee to address flight-operational challenges and coordinate regional airspace operations, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu announced on 12 November 2026. The announcement followed his meeting with UAE Economy and Tourism Minister Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri.

Committee to coordinate flight operations

Naidu said on X that the three countries had agreed to establish the committee to develop coordinated solutions to operational challenges for flights. The move comes amid regional instability following joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran and counterattacks, which have led to airspace restrictions. Indian airlines cancelled services to Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam during November 2026.

Further technical discussions planned

The committee’s formation will also pave the way for technical discussions between the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Middle East (MID) and Asia-Pacific (APAC) Regions later in November 2026. The discussions will address regional civil aviation operations affected by airspace restrictions.

Important Facts for Exams

• Flight information regions: Within a country's Flight Information Region, it provides air-traffic control and regulates flights; by agreement, it may also manage parts of international airspace.
• Airspace classes: ICAO defines classes according to the services provided, but countries decide which sections of airspace receive each classification.
• Temporary restrictions: Safety-related temporary airspace restrictions can be issued through a NOTAM or a temporary flight restriction, including for natural disasters.