New Delhi: The Union Government is exploring an alternative air route through China to reduce the impact of Pakistan’s continued closure of its airspace to Indian airlines, Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu hinted on Tuesday.
Naidu said discussions are underway with China over access to airspace near Hotan in Xinjiang. The proposed route could provide Indian carriers an alternative path towards West Asia, Europe and North America, reducing the need for longer detours around Pakistan.
“We are looking at other alternatives. Discussion on the Hotan route is going on between the two countries. Our external affairs ministry is engaging with their country,” Naidu said.
Pakistan has kept its airspace closed to Indian-registered aircraft and aircraft operated or leased by Indian airlines since April 2025, after the military face-off post Pahalgam incident.
The restrictions have forced Indian carriers to take longer routes on several westbound international services, increasing flying time and fuel consumption.
Industry estimates reported in May put the cumulative financial impact on Indian airlines at around ₹7,000 crore over the preceding year. Air India was estimated to have suffered a hit of nearly ₹4,000 crore, while the impact on IndiGo was estimated at more than ₹1,300 crore.
Longer routes have also increased fuel consumption on affected sectors, with industry estimates putting the additional fuel burn at around 30-35%.
The proposed China route comes months after India-China air connectivity was restored following a gap of nearly six years. Air India resumed direct Delhi-Shanghai flights on February 1, 2026, operating four times a week.
The restoration of direct connectivity followed an agreement between India and China to resume direct flights after services were suspended in early 2020.
However, the minister neither gave a timeline for the route to get operationalised, nor any information on what stage has the conversation with China progressed to.