Why in news?

Air India has announced major cuts to its international flight schedule from June to August, including an almost 40% reduction in North American operations and substantial reductions in flights to SAARC and Southeast Asian destinations.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• International Routes Affected by Air India’s Flight Cuts
• Why Air India Has Cut International Flights?
• Wider Impact on Indian Airlines
• Global Aviation Faces Disruptions and Cost Pressures

International Routes Affected by Air India’s Flight Cuts

• Air India has removed 145 weekly international flights, resulting in an overall 27% reduction in international operations across multiple regions.
• North America Hit Hardest
  • North America, Air India’s most important international market, has seen a major impact: Weekly flights reduced from 51 to 33 (39% decline).
  • Temporary suspension of routes such as:
    • Delhi–Chicago
    • Delhi–Newark
    • Mumbai–New York
  • However, Mumbai–Newark has received four additional flights, taking the route to seven weekly services
• Europe Sees Moderate Cuts
  • Air India has withdrawn about 34% of flights on several European routes, including: Paris, Copenhagen, Milan, Vienna, Zurich, Rome.
  • Unaffected routes: London, Manchester, Amsterdam.
• Sharp Cuts in Asia-Pacific Routes
  • The steepest reductions have been in Southeast Asia, SAARC, and the Far East, with about 57% of flights withdrawn to destinations such as: Kathmandu, Dhaka, Colombo, Bangkok, Shanghai, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City.
• Singapore Services Significantly Reduced
  • A total of 21 weekly flights from Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai to Singapore have been withdrawn.
• Australia Routes Also Affected
  • Flights from Delhi to:
    • Melbourne reduced from 7 to 4 per week
    • Sydney reduced from 7 to 4 per week

Why Air India Has Cut International Flights?

• Air India’s flight reductions are mainly due to the West Asia conflict, which has forced airlines to avoid affected airspace for safety reasons, leading to significantly longer routes.
• Travel times to North America have increased by five to six hours, requiring refuelling stops in cities such as Vienna and Copenhagen.
• The situation has worsened for Indian carriers because Pakistan has barred Indian airlines from using its airspace since April 2025, following Operation Sindoor, placing them at a competitive disadvantage compared to foreign airlines such as Lufthansa.

Wider Impact on Indian Airlines

• The disruption is not limited to Air India. Other Indian airlines have also reduced international operations:
  • IndiGo: 21% reduction in international flights in April
  • SpiceJet, Akasa Air, Air India Express: Over 50% cuts, though on smaller international networks
• Why Air India Has Been Hit the Hardest
  • Air India has faced the biggest impact because it is the only Indian airline operating North American routes and has a strong presence across several European destinations, unlike IndiGo, which is still expanding internationally.
  • By April, jet fuel prices had risen by 130% due to tensions in the Gulf.
  • Since fuel accounts for nearly 40% of airline operating costs, this has sharply increased financial pressure.
  • Airlines have responded by imposing fuel surcharges and increasing ticket prices, but there are concerns that excessively high fares may reduce passenger demand.
  • Air India’s network rationalisation is aimed at limiting mounting losses amid operational disruptions.
  • The airline reported a ₹26,700 crore loss in FY 2025-26, driven by the Pakistan airspace ban, rising costs, and reputational setbacks after the Ahmedabad crash.

Global Aviation Faces Disruptions and Cost Pressures

• The aviation disruption is part of a broader global trend triggered by regional conflict and soaring fuel prices.
• Gulf carriers have been hit the hardest, with the International Air Transport Association reporting a 61% decline in international passenger traffic in March.
• Beyond the Gulf, airlines are cutting operations to manage costs and improve efficiency.
• The Lufthansa Group has cancelled 20,000 short-haul flights until October to save jet fuel and streamline long-haul connectivity.
• Qantas has also reduced capacity, cutting domestic flights by 5% and international services by 2%, while withdrawing some routes such as the Bengaluru–Sydney service despite expanding select Europe operations.

About Chaprala Wildlife Sanctuary:

• It is located in the Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra.
• It is located on the bank of the confluence of the Wardha and Wainganga rivers.
• The Pranhita River flows along its western boundary.
• During the monsoons, river water swells and enters the sanctuary.
• Additionally, several water bodies, including the Murgikunta, Raikonta, and Komatkunta tanks, further contribute to the sanctuary’s biodiversity.
• It is also home to the indigenous Gond tribal community.
• Vegetation: It is dominated by southern tropical dry deciduous forests interspersed with grasslands.
• Flora: The dominant tree species include teak, arjun, salai, mahua, bel, dhawada, tendu, sissoo, and semal.
• Fauna:
  • It is inhabited by Tiger, Leopard, Wild boar, Sloth bear, Wild dogs, Langurs, Blackbuck, Spotted Deer, Sambar, Jackal, Mongoose, etc.
  • The sanctuary also features a distinctive riparian ecosystem that supports a diverse aquatic fauna, including fish, prawns, and turtles.

Key Facts about Pranahita River:

• It is a significant tributary of the Godavari River, formed by the confluence of the Wardha and Wainganga rivers.
• It flows through the states of Maharashtra and Telangana.
• The river course is principally through the dense forests, which are rich in Sagwan or timber trees.
• By virtue of its extensive network of tributaries, the river drains all of the Vidharba region as well as the southern slopes of the Satpura Ranges.
• The river is known for its vast catchment area and plays a key role in irrigation and local agriculture.
• In recent years, the Pranahita-Chevella Lift Irrigation Project was proposed to utilize the river’s water for irrigation and drinking water supply to drought-prone areas in Telangana.

About Common Bronzeback:

• It is a non-venomous species of tree snake found in South and Southeast Asia.
• Scientific Name: Dendrelaphis tristis
• Other Names: Indian Bronzeback Tree Snake and Daudin's Bronzeback
• Habitat and Distribution:
  • They are found in Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Myanmar, and Bhutan.
  • They inhabit dry forests, wet montane forests, and the Himalayan foothills.
  • They can also occur in rural and urban areas, in gardens and parks.
  • They are arboreal and prefer the treetops to life on the ground.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Least Concern

About Ebola:

• It is a severe and often deadly viral disease caused by a group of viruses known as orthoebolaviruses (formerly ebolavirus).
• It is a severe contagious disease affecting humans and non-human primates.
• Ebola, first identified in 1976 in southern Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, primarily affects remote villages in Central and West Africa.
• It is known as a hemorrhagic fever virus because it can cause problems with the clotting system of the body and lead to internal bleeding as blood leaks from small blood vessels.
• Transmission:
  • The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals (such as fruit bats, porcupines, and non-human primates).
  • It then spreads in the human population through direct contact with the blood, secretions, organs, or other bodily fluids of infected people and with surfaces and materials contaminated with these fluids.
  • Ebola cannot be transmitted by air.
• Infectious period:
  • Infected individuals are not contagious during the incubation period and become infectious once they begin to develop symptoms.
  • They remain infectious as long as the virus is present in the blood.
• Treatment:
  • There is no known cure for Ebola.
  • There are no approved drugs or vaccines available to treat EVD, although experimental vaccines and therapeutics are being tested.
  • Recovery seems to depend in part on how much virus a person was initially exposed to, how early treatment is started, and on the patient's age and immune response.
  • Chances of survival can be improved with early supportive care.
  • Current therapy consists of maintenance of fluid and electrolyte balance and the administration of blood and plasma to control bleeding.

About ABHAY System:

• ABHAY (AI-Based Helpbot for Authentication of Your Notice) is an AI-powered notice verification system launched by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
• Purpose: It is designed to help citizens identify fake CBI notices and protect themselves from rising “digital arrest” scams.
• It is India’s first real-time notice verification system developed specifically to combat cyber-enabled fraud and impersonation scams.
• The platform was created as fraudsters increasingly use fake law enforcement notices, AI-generated content, and deepfake technology to intimidate victims.
• How does the System Work?
  • Users receiving notices in the name of the CBI can upload scanned copies of the documents on the platform after completing OTP verification.
  • The AI-based system then checks the authenticity of the notice and flags it as either genuine or potentially fraudulent.
• The ABHAY system is available round-the-clock through the official CBI website and the dedicated verification portal, the ABHAY Verification Platform.

About Research and Analysis Wing (RAW):

• It is India’s external intelligence agency.
• It plays a crucial role in counter-terrorism, counter-proliferation, cybersecurity, and monitoring threats from outside the country.
• It is headquartered in New Delhi.
• Formation:
  • Until 1968, the Intelligence Bureau (IB), which is responsible for India’s internal intelligence, also handled external intelligence.
  • However, after the 1962 China-India war and the Indo-Pakistani war in 1965, India established a separate and distinct external intelligence organization–the R&AW.
  • Rameshwar Nath Kao was the first chief of R&AW.
  • Since its inception, RAW is credited with providing intelligence support to many significant operations on foreign soil.
• Working mechanism:
  • It collects military, economic, scientific, and political intelligence through covert and overt operations.
  • The agency is also charged with monitoring terrorist elements and smuggling rings that transport weapons and ammunition into India.
  • Indian officials rely on the intelligence collected by RAW to shift national security policy, revise foreign policy, and to influence international public opinion.
• Authority:
  • It directly comes under the prime ministerial office of India.
  • The Agency reports directly to the prime minister of India and not to anyone other than the PMO.
  • Because R&AW is a necessarily secretive organization, many of its activities remain classified.
  • The agency is not liable to answer any questions in the Parliament and the parliamentarians do not have the authority to raise questions on the funds which are allocated to the agency.

About Netherlands:

• Location: It is a country located in Northwestern Europe.
• Bordering Countries: It is bordered by Germany in the east; and Belgium in the south.
• Water Bodies: It is bounded by the North Sea in the north and west.
• Capital City: Amsterdam
• Geographical Features of Netherlands:
  • Climate: The climate of the Netherlands is temperate, with gentle winters, cool summers, and rainfall in every season.
  • Three primary geographic regions of the Netherlands are the Lowlands, the Veluwe and Utrecht Hill Ridge, and The Limburg Hills.
  • Lakes: Ijsselmeer (largest freshwater)
  • Rivers: Major rivers flow through the Netherlands are Rhine, Meuse (Maas), and Scheldt
  • Highest Point: Vaalserberg is the highest point (1,058 feet) of Netherlands.
  • Natural Resources: It has one of the world's largest natural gas fields. Other resources are zinc, and magnesium.

About Uturuncu Volcano:

• Location: It is a large dormant volcano located in southwestern Bolivia, within the Andes Mountains.
• Uturuncu is known as a “zombie” volcano for showing signs of activity despite being considered geologically dead.
• It is a stratovolcano dominated by dacitic lava domes and flows.
• Beneath Uturuncu at a depth of about 10 to 20 kilometers lies a vast reservoir of magma called the Altiplano-Puna Magma Body. 
  • This magma body is spanning roughly 200 kilometers, it is the biggest known active magma body in the planet’s crust.
• The volcano displays a distinct “sombrero” shape, with the center rising and the surrounding areas sinking.
• The volcano currently experiences hundreds of small earthquakes per year.

About Ganges Soft-shell Turtle:

• It is one of the largest freshwater turtle species in the world. 
• It is also known as the Indian softshell turtles (Nilssonia gangetica)
• Appearance:
  • It has a long neck and tube-like snouts help them to extend their nose out of the water to breathe.
• Habitat: These turtles inhabit deep rivers, streams, canals, lakes and ponds, typically preferring areas with sandy or muddy bottoms.
  • They thrive in turbid water and spend most of their time hidden under the sand.
• Geographical Distribution: They are found in Afghanistan, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
  • Mainly found in Indus, Ganges, Meghna, Brahmaputra, Yamuna, Narmada and Mahanandi river basins.
• Diet: Indian softshell turtles are omnivorous, feeding on fish, amphibians, mollusks, insects, carrion and aquatic plants. 
• These turtles breed from February to April.
• Cultural Significance: These are often maintained in the temple ponds of Orissa where they are considered sacred.
• Threat: Habitat alteration and destruction, Poaching and illegal trading for traditional medicines, expansion of agriculture, commercial exploitation.
• Conservation Status
  • IUCN Red List: Endangered
  • Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I.

About International Telecommunication Union:

• It is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies.
• Historical Background
  • It was established in 1865 as the International Telegraph Union.
  • In 1947 the ITU became a specialized agency of the United Nations.
• It is an intergovernmental organization that coordinates between governments and private sector bodies with respect to global telecommunication and information communication technology (ICT) services.
• Member countries: It has a membership of 194 countries and more than 1000 companies, universities and international and regional organizations.
• India and ITU: India has been an active member of the ITU since 1869 and has been a regular member of the ITU Council since 1952.
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.
• Functions of International Telecommunication Union:
  • Allocate global radio spectrum and satellite orbits
  • Coordination and setting of technical standards related to telecommunication/ICT;
  • Work to improve access to ICTs in underserved communities worldwide;
• Governance:
  • ITU Council: It acts as the governing body of the ITU and comprises 48 elected Member States.
  • It meets annually in Geneva to oversee the organisation’s strategy, policy, budget and financial control.
  • India has been a member of the ITU Council since 1952.