Air India is facing a greater impact from airspace restrictions than last year, with longer flight routes, higher fuel consumption and additional operating costs amid the continuing conflict in West Asia, a senior airline official said on Monday.
The Tata Group-owned airline has been taking longer routes for its European and North American flights since early last year following Pakistan's closure of its airspace to Indian carriers. The restrictions imposed by several Gulf countries amid the escalating Middle East conflict have added to the burden.
“There is a big impact, but it is hard to quantify,” the official said, citing restrictions linked to the Iran conflict and in countries such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
“It is not just Pakistan's (airspace closure) impact now; there is also Iran (conflict) impact,” the official said.
With more airspace closures forcing flights to take longer, southerly routes, fuel consumption and operating costs have risen, the official added.
“The more airspaces are closed, the more southwards flights have to go. The more southwards flights have to go, the more the fuel bill. So, it (airspace curbs) is worse than what we had last year,” the official said.
The longer routes mean additional flying hours and fuel burn, while some flights require stopovers, adding costs such as landing charges. The airline's overall financial impact from the restrictions could not be immediately ascertained.
The escalating conflict involving Iran has disrupted flight routes and airport operations across parts of West Asia, putting additional pressure on airlines operating between India, Europe and North America.
(With inputs from PTI)