Pakistan Airspace Closure: What It Means For Air Travellers From India

Following the terror attacks in Pahalgam, and rising border tensions between India and Pakistan, the latter closed its airspace to all Indian-owned and Indian-operated airlines with immediate effect. The move has also led to the rerouting of international flights, most of which head towards Europe, North America, Middle East, and Central Asia.

Air India, the national flag carrier of India, took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce alternatives routes for international flights. "Air India regrets the inconvenience caused to our passengers due to this unforeseen airspace closure that is outside our control. We would like to reiterate that at Air India, the safety of our customers and crew remains top priority," the airline said. Notably, the closure of Pakistani airspace is significantly disrupting Indian airlines, affecting approximately 800 weekly flights.

Rising Prices Due To Pakistan's Airspace Closure

The ongoing restrictions force Indian airlines to take longer, more circuitous routes, particularly for flights heading west. This adds significantly to flight time and fuel costs, ultimately impacting ticket prices for passengers. According to reports, experts estimate that Indian airlines incurred losses of around INR 700 crore during the over four-month closure in 2019 alone, due to increased fuel expenses and operational complexities. Similar, or more, losses are expected to hit the aviation industry this time around. As a rollover effect, flight rates may rise for Indian travellers flying international.

Longer Routes To Be Impacted

The impact is felt most acutely by airlines operating long-haul flights to Europe, North America, and the Middle East. These flights now require detours, adding hours to journey times. For example, flights to Europe often reroute over the Arabian Sea, adding significantly to the distance. Flights from northern Indian cities like Delhi, Amritsar, Jaipur, Lucknow, and Varanasi are directly impacted. The duration of some USA and European flights operated by Indian airlines has increased by two to 2.5 hours. IndiGo has even suspended flights to Tashkent and Almaty, as these destinations are now outside the operational range of its narrow-body aircraft due to the necessary rerouting.

(with inputs from multiple news reports)