India explores alternatives as Pakistan’s airspace ban hits flights hard

The Indian government is working with domestic airlines to explore alternative flight routes and financial relief, as Pakistan’s airspace remains closed to Indian carriers for the 11th consecutive day, ARY News reported.

In response to the ongoing closure, Indian airlines have been forced to adopt significantly longer flight paths, some of which require mid-route refuelling—drastically increasing operational costs. This disruption has severely impacted Indian aviation operations and triggered major financial losses.

Over the past 10 days, more than 1,150 Indian flights have been adversely affected. Airlines including Air India, IndiGo, Akasa Air, SpiceJet, and Air India Express have been bearing the brunt of the rerouting and delays.

Flights are now being diverted over the Arabian Sea, consuming more fuel and inflating costs. Among all carriers, Air India has been hit the hardest, followed by IndiGo, which has suspended services to destinations such as Tashkent and Almaty.

Read More: Pakistan airspace closure costs Indian Airlines Rs2bn loss in few days

Routes to the UK and North America, departing from cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Amritsar, Bengaluru, and Ahmedabad, have experienced extended flight times of up to 10 hours due to diversions.

The ongoing disruption has led many Indian passengers to opt for foreign airlines, as domestic flights continue to be cancelled and refunds are delayed.

Pakistan initially closed its airspace to Indian carriers from 23 April to 23 May, citing security concerns. A similar restriction imposed in 2019 reportedly cost Indian airlines ₹700 crore in losses.

According to recent reports, Indian carriers have submitted cost estimates to the Civil Aviation Ministry, suggesting that the continued closure could lead to annual additional expenses of around $600 million if the situation remains unchanged.

Earlier, Pakistan’s airspace closure resulted in substantial financial losses for Indian airlines, with over 1,000 flights incurring costs that exceeded Rs 2 billion in the past nine days.

Pakistan closed its airspace to Indian flights for a period of one month.

The restriction remained in effect until May 23rd at 12:00 AM, prohibiting Indian airlines and operators from using Pakistani airspace.

Additionally, aircraft leased by Indian entities and operated in India were also barred from accessing Pakistani airspace.