Turkiye Denies Airspace, Delaying India’s Apache Helicopter Delivery

Overview

• A chartered Antonov AN-124 left Arizona on November 1 with three Apache helicopters, refueled at East Midlands Airport in the UK, then sat on the ground for eight days.
• Turkish authorities refused overflight permission during that period, and the aircraft flew back to the United States on November 8 instead of continuing to India.
• The three helicopters remain undelivered, with defence sources saying they were unloaded at a U.S. base after the return flight.
• Boeing reports 22 Apaches delivered to the Indian Air Force and three to the Army so far, and says it is addressing route and scheduling issues to complete the remaining shipment.
• The airspace decision comes against a backdrop of strained India–Turkiye relations, with Indian officials recently skipping Turkish National Day events over Ankara’s support for Pakistan.