India’s aviation industry is struggling with a sharp cost increase following Pakistan closing its airspace to Indian planes. The action was taken due to India’s security measures after the Pahalgam terror attack that resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians. Now Indian airlines with international flights coming from north Indian cities are set to incur an extra weekly expense of Rs 77 crore.
The fallout is being felt across the skies, with longer flight durations, extra fuel consumption, and technical halts inflating operational costs by over Rs 306 crore monthly.
Extended Flights Drive Up Expenses
As per PTI, Indian flights from India to America and Europe are now flying longer routes. The average extra flying time has increased by 1.5 hours. This extra cost is boosting the price of each US-bound flight by Rs 29 lakh. These calculations include additional fuel, landing fees, and technical stopovers. Flights going to Europe and the Middle East are also undergoing similar price boosts.
With Pakistan’s closure diverting flights south through Ahmedabad and Muscat, delays and costs have risen. Carriers such as Indigo have cut routes to Central Asia. Air India has inserted stops on US services.
Government Seeks Alternative Air Corridors
To avoid the fiscal and logistical burden, Indian officials are considering alternatives. Senior officials of defence, civil aviation, and foreign affairs ministries recently sat together to discuss new flight routes. One possible route would skip Pakistan and Afghanistan altogether. Planes would fly north of Leh, fly over the Hind Kush mountain range, and into Kyrgyzstan or Tajikistan before moving into Europe or North America.
This path, though, requires permission from China since it lies across its airspace. Officials stated that airlines have been requested to pilot-test the viability of the route. If feasible, India might formally seek Chinese approval.
New Routes Meet Operational Challenges
Taking the new northern corridor route won’t be easy. Aviation officials noted that operations at high altitudes require additional crew training. Planes would also need more than 22 minutes of oxygen on board because of tough terrain. That would increase expenses even more and call for an overhaul of safety.
Beneath the obstacle, the importance is obvious. With Pakistan refusing to open up its airspace, Indian airlines continue to lose every day and their turnaround times have increased. An industry already dealing with post-COVID recovery and international fuel prices’ volatility takes another hit.
Geopolitical Flight Path Crisis
Pakistan’s airspace shutdown is not merely an aviation crisis—it is a symptom of increased regional tensions following the Kashmir terror attack. Indian airlines are now reaping the consequences of geopolitical confrontations. Unless the crisis subsides, the aviation sector could see further disruptions and rate increases.
India’s reaction by way of alternate corridors is resilient. But it also reveals how vital airspace diplomacy is in today’s war scenarios. In the event of failure of diplomacy, the skies become another arena in the border war.
