Closure of Pakistani Airspace Causes Major Losses to Indian Airlines, Government Deeply Concerned

New Delhi: The Indian government is facing mounting pressure and concern as the closure of Pakistani airspace for Indian aircraft has led to massive financial losses for the country’s airlines. According to media reports, Indian carriers have informed authorities that they are suffering losses worth crores of rupees due to the disruption.
A high-level meeting chaired by India’s Aviation Minister was held with representatives from major Indian airlines including Air India, SpiceJet, Akasa Air, IndiGo, and Air India Express. The meeting revealed that business operations have been significantly hampered, with as many as 800 weekly flights affected by the Pakistani airspace restrictions.
IndiGo has reportedly suspended its Central Asia flight operations entirely, and routes from northern India to Western Asia, Europe, the UK, and the US have been severely disrupted. Flights to cities like Almaty and Tashkent have also been grounded, as the alternative routes exceed the aircrafts’ operational range.
Air India, which relies heavily on Pakistani airspace for its long-haul international routes, including to Europe and North America, is experiencing operational challenges. IndiGo, which operates flights to the Middle East, Turkey, the Caucasus, and Central Asia via Pakistan, also raised concerns during the meeting.
Despite the growing crisis, the Aviation Minister declined to offer immediate financial assistance to the airlines. Instead, he instructed them to develop alternate route plans ranging from 6 months to one year.
Sources noted that during a similar closure in 2019, Indian airlines suffered a financial loss of around INR 700 crore due to Pakistani airspace restrictions.