TCS, Infosys suspend travel to Middle East amid US-Iran tensions
What's the story
Leading Indian IT firms Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Infosys have suspended all travel to the Middle East. The decision comes in light of the recent escalation of violence in the region, triggered by US and Israeli strikes on Iran over the weekend. The attacks reportedly targeted key figures in Iran, leading to significant geopolitical tensions.
Restrictions
TCS's advisory for employees
TCS, which has a strong presence in the Middle East, issued an internal advisory asking employees to stay indoors and avoid non-essential travel. The company has also suspended all incoming and outgoing travel to and from the region as airspace across several countries remains closed. TCS employs around 9,000 people in this region and is actively monitoring their safety through HR teams.
Employee safety
Infosys issues travel advisory
Infosys, another major player in the Indian IT sector with a strong presence in the Middle East, has also issued a travel advisory. The company has been monitoring significant disruptions caused by restricted airspace and flight cancellations. Infosys has asked employees scheduled to travel within 48 hours to check their itineraries with airlines and postpone if possible.
Travel chaos
Impact on global flights and other IT firms
The ongoing geopolitical tensions have resulted in massive global flight cancellations and delays. Flight tracking website FlightAware reported over 2,700 flights canceled, and more than 12,300 delayed as of yesterday evening. Senior executives from other top IT companies such as Infosys and HCLTech have also been stuck at Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports due to these disruptions.