Closure of Pakistani Airspace Severely Disrupts Indian Airlines’ Flight Operations

Karachi: The ongoing closure of Pakistani airspace has significantly impacted Indian airlines, leading to major disruptions in flight schedules and extended travel times. Airlines such as Air India, SpiceJet, and IndiGo are now facing flight durations that have increased by two to four hours.
Flights from major Indian cities like New Delhi and Mumbai bound for destinations including New York, London, and Istanbul have had to be rerouted. Air India has diverted several flights and conducted unscheduled refueling stops in cities like Vienna due to the longer routes.
Previously, Indian carriers would enter Pakistani airspace via Lahore en route to the United States. However, with the closure in effect, flights now must detour over the Arabian Sea, adding approximately four hours to travel time.
Last night, round-trip flights operated by Air India and IndiGo between New York and Delhi were forced to divert. Similarly, SpiceJet flights from Amritsar to Dubai, which used to pass through Lahore and Gwadar, are now taking a much longer path across India before reaching the UAE.
Due to the extended flight times, Indian pilots are being forced to fly longer international routes, often requiring additional refueling stops in third countries. Flights that once took 10 hours to reach the U.S. from Delhi now take up to 14 hours.
As a result, many Indian passengers are opting to fly with Middle Eastern and other international airlines instead of domestic Indian carriers.
According to sources, if the airspace closure continues for a month or longer, Indian airlines are expected to face significant financial losses.