A MakeMyTrip spokesperson reported a 60% decline in bookings and a 250% surge in cancellations for Azerbaijan and Turkey in the past week.
| Photo Credit:
REUTERS
Growing public anger towards Turkey and Azerbaijan, fuelled by their support for Pakistan during ‘Operation Sindoor,’ is intensifying calls for the suspension of India’s civil aviation links with these countries. Concerns also persist regarding ongoing negotiations to resume civilian flights between India and China.
BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal has formally urged the government to urgently review aviation partnerships, particularly those involving Turkish Airlines, and to advise Indian carriers in response to public outcry. In a letter to Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, Khandelwal stated that the “overt support extended by Turkey, Azerbaijan, and China to Pakistan amidst the ongoing hostilities has caused significant distress among the Indian public and has raised grave concerns regarding our national sovereignty and security.”
He argued that “continued aviation partnerships with countries siding openly with hostile entities sends a contradictory and disheartening message to our citizens” at a time of heightened national sentiment and military action. Khandelwal specifically called for a temporary suspension of collaborations with Turkish Airlines and increased scrutiny of aviation activities involving China and Azerbaijan.
He highlighted that Indian carriers like IndiGo have codeshare agreements and strategic partnerships with Turkish Airlines, and urged the Ministry to advise a reassessment and potential suspension of these collaborations due to Turkey’s pro-Pakistan stance. He also noted the deep ties of Turkish companies like Celebi (ground handling) and Turkish Technic (past maintenance work with Air India) in India’s aviation sector.
Following Khandelwal’s intervention, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) called for a travel boycott of Turkey and Azerbaijan by Indian citizens, suggesting that this could significantly impact their tourism-dependent economies. CAIT cited 2024 data indicating that approximately 300,000 Indians visited Turkey (contributing $291.6 million) and 250,000 visited Azerbaijan (contributing $308.6 million). The trade body also warned of cancellations in destination weddings, corporate events, and cultural programmes.
A MakeMyTrip (MMT) spokesperson reported a sharp decline in bookings (60 per cent) and a surge in cancellations (250 per cent) for Azerbaijan and Turkey in the past week, stating their solidarity with the nation and advising against non-essential travel to these destinations. MMT has also discontinued all promotions for these countries.
Prior to MMT, ixigo had already suspended all flight and hotel bookings for Turkey, Azerbaijan, and China on its platform. ixigo’s Group CEO, Aloke Bajpai, emphasised acting responsibly and in alignment with India’s broader interests, prioritising the trust and safety of Indian travellers, and stated, “’Blood and bookings won’t flow together.”
Published on May 14, 2025
A MakeMyTrip spokesperson reported a 60% decline in bookings and a 250% surge in cancellations for Azerbaijan and Turkey in the past week.
| Photo Credit:
REUTERS
Growing public anger towards Turkey and Azerbaijan, fuelled by their support for Pakistan during ‘Operation Sindoor,’ is intensifying calls for the suspension of India’s civil aviation links with these countries. Concerns also persist regarding ongoing negotiations to resume civilian flights between India and China.
BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal has formally urged the government to urgently review aviation partnerships, particularly those involving Turkish Airlines, and to advise Indian carriers in response to public outcry. In a letter to Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, Khandelwal stated that the “overt support extended by Turkey, Azerbaijan, and China to Pakistan amidst the ongoing hostilities has caused significant distress among the Indian public and has raised grave concerns regarding our national sovereignty and security.”
He argued that “continued aviation partnerships with countries siding openly with hostile entities sends a contradictory and disheartening message to our citizens” at a time of heightened national sentiment and military action. Khandelwal specifically called for a temporary suspension of collaborations with Turkish Airlines and increased scrutiny of aviation activities involving China and Azerbaijan.
He highlighted that Indian carriers like IndiGo have codeshare agreements and strategic partnerships with Turkish Airlines, and urged the Ministry to advise a reassessment and potential suspension of these collaborations due to Turkey’s pro-Pakistan stance. He also noted the deep ties of Turkish companies like Celebi (ground handling) and Turkish Technic (past maintenance work with Air India) in India’s aviation sector.
Following Khandelwal’s intervention, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) called for a travel boycott of Turkey and Azerbaijan by Indian citizens, suggesting that this could significantly impact their tourism-dependent economies. CAIT cited 2024 data indicating that approximately 300,000 Indians visited Turkey (contributing $291.6 million) and 250,000 visited Azerbaijan (contributing $308.6 million). The trade body also warned of cancellations in destination weddings, corporate events, and cultural programmes.
A MakeMyTrip (MMT) spokesperson reported a sharp decline in bookings (60 per cent) and a surge in cancellations (250 per cent) for Azerbaijan and Turkey in the past week, stating their solidarity with the nation and advising against non-essential travel to these destinations. MMT has also discontinued all promotions for these countries.
Prior to MMT, ixigo had already suspended all flight and hotel bookings for Turkey, Azerbaijan, and China on its platform. ixigo’s Group CEO, Aloke Bajpai, emphasised acting responsibly and in alignment with India’s broader interests, prioritising the trust and safety of Indian travellers, and stated, “’Blood and bookings won’t flow together.”
Published on May 14, 2025
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The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making
The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for ‘lorem ipsum’ will uncover many web sites still in their infancy.
It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution
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