EaseMyTrip, Cox & Kings, and Travomint halt travel offerings to Turkey and Azerbaijan, citing national sentiment and safety concerns following support for Pakistan during ongoing conflict.
May 10, 2025: As geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan continue to intensify in the wake of Operation Sindoor, top Indian travel companies including EaseMyTrip, Cox & Kings, and Travomint have suspended all travel packages to Turkey and Azerbaijan. The move comes in direct response to public support shown by Ankara and Baku for Pakistan, prompting the Indian travel sector to align its business operations with national sentiment and diplomatic caution.
India's friends and enemies are identifying themselves. China, Turkey, Azerbaijan are clearly on the Paki side. Ideally, there should be costs for doing this but India will reward them with fatter trade deals and defence contracts; Israel is probably the only country with India.…
— sushant sareen (@sushantsareen) April 28, 2025
On Friday, Cox & Kings issued a formal statement pausing travel services to Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan, citing “commitment to principles that matter deeply to us and the people of our country.” Director Karan Agarwal urged Indian travellers to avoid non-essential travel to these regions until clearer geopolitical resolutions emerge.
We can consider suspending our flights to Turkey and Turkish flights to India for the time being. https://t.co/MCfDk0PQZZ
— Kanwal Sibal (@KanwalSibal) April 28, 2025
EaseMyTrip and Travomint Join Industry-Wide Action
Nishant Pitti, founder and chairman of EaseMyTrip, reiterated concerns over rising regional instability and said that traveller safety is paramount. “We advise all our customers to exercise utmost caution and stay updated on official travel advisories,” he noted, highlighting the company’s proactive stand during the conflict.
Travomint followed suit. CEO Alok K Singh confirmed that “all packages to Turkey and Azerbaijan have been suspended with immediate effect,” adding that “supporting Indian sentiment and national interests is non-negotiable for us.”
Backdrop of Turkish Involvement
The decisions by Indian companies follow reports that Turkey-supplied Songar drones were used by Pakistan in its recent attacks on Indian military positions. Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has also openly backed Pakistan’s position on Kashmir, advocating for a UN-led resolution, further aggravating sentiments in India.
Defence commentators have also raised alarms over the reported landing of six Turkish military transport aircraft in Pakistan in the lead-up to Pakistan’s drone offensive. While Ankara claimed the landings were for refuelling, Indian strategic experts have called the explanation insufficient.
Strategic Analysts Call for Tougher Measures
Former Indian Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal and security expert Sushant Sareen have both pointed to a clearer axis of adversarial alignment emerging in the region, with Turkey, China, and Azerbaijan backing Islamabad.
“India’s friends and enemies are identifying themselves. China, Turkey, Azerbaijan are clearly on the Pakistani side,” Sareen observed, adding, “Ideally, there should be costs for this alignment.”
Public Response and Policy Implications
The travel ban by these companies has drawn widespread support online, with many netizens and influencers — including musician Vishal Mishra — pledging to boycott travel to pro-Pakistan nations.
As India navigates the diplomatic fallout from the Pahalgam terror attack and subsequent cross-border tensions, this move by travel firms underscores how private-sector responses are increasingly mirroring public and political sentiment.
Tags:
India-Pakistan Conflict, Operation Sindoor, Turkey Azerbaijan Boycott, Indian Travel Companies, EaseMyTrip, Cox and Kings, Travomint, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish Drones, Foreign Policy India, Vishal Mishra Turkey, OperationSindoor,