CHENNAI: Top Indian airlines, Air India and IndiGo, are preparing for higher fuel costs and longer journey times as they reroute international flights. This comes after Pakistan closed its airspace to Indian carriers amid rising tensions over a deadly militant attack in Kashmir.
India has claimed that Pakistani elements were involved in Tuesday’s attack, where gunmen killed 26 people in the Pahalgam area of Indian-administered Kashmir. Pakistan has denied any involvement.
In response to the incident, both countries have imposed a range of retaliatory measures. India has suspended a critical river water-sharing treaty, while Pakistan has closed its airspace to Indian airlines. However, international carriers are not affected by this ban.
A Civil Aviation Ministry source told TNIE, “Flights will now have to take the route over the Arabian Sea. There is no other option. It will definitely take much longer for passengers and cost overheads for airlines before the destinations are reached.”
The effects of the airspace closure became apparent on Thursday evening, as Air India and IndiGo began rerouting flights to destinations like New York, Azerbaijan, and Dubai—routes that typically pass through Pakistani airspace, according to flight tracking data from the industry.
New Delhi, one of the world’s busiest airports, will be the hardest hit, as many flights from the city cross Pakistani airspace en route to the West and the Middle East.
According to industry data, Indigo, Air India and its budget subsidiary Air India Express together have some 1,200 flights scheduled from New Delhi to Europe, the Middle East, and North America in April. Air India, Indigo, Air India Express, Spice jet and Akasa Air are among the airlines set to be impacted by the move.
Air India on Thursday said in a statement; "Due to the announced restriction of Pakistan airspace for all Indian airlines, it is expected that some Air India flights to or from North America, UK, Europe, and Middle East will take an alternative extended route.,"
The Tata-owned airline added that it regrets the inconvenience caused to our passengers due to this unforeseen airspace closure that is outside its control.
"We would like to reiterate that at Air India, the safety of our customers and crew remains top priority," Air India stated.
For Air India, flights to the Middle East from New Delhi will now face an additional hour of travel, resulting in higher fuel costs and less space for cargo due to the extra fuel, an Indian aviation industry executive, who asked to remain anonymous, told Reuters.
IndiGo stated on Friday that “a few” of its flights will be affected. "...a few of our international flights are being impacted. We understand the inconvenience this may cause and our teams are doing their best to help you reach your destination at the earliest," the airline said.
Aviation industry analysts said on Friday that Air India is the most affected due to its extensive long- and ultra-long-haul network out of Delhi.
This airspace closure adds to the growing list of challenges facing India’s airline industry, which is already dealing with delays in aircraft deliveries from Boeing and Airbus. Fuel and oil costs typically account for about 30% of an airline's operating expenses, making it the largest cost component.
Air India, Indigo, Air India Express, Spice jet and Akasa Air are among the airlines set to be impacted by the move.
Reuters on Friday quoted an airline staff saying the airspace closure would disrupt flight schedules, requiring airlines to reassess their flight hours in accordance with regulations, and adjust crew and pilot rosters. Another airline executive spoke to the news agency also revealed that the carrier was scrambling to assess the situation, with some employees working late into the night on Thursday. Both sources spoke on condition of anonymity.
On Thursday, IndiGo flight 6E1803 from New Delhi to Baku took 5 hours and 43 minutes via a longer route that bypassed Pakistan, flying southwest over India’s Gujarat state, over the Arabian Sea, and then north over Iran to Azerbaijan. In contrast, the same flight took just 5 hours and 5 minutes on Wednesday when flying through Pakistani airspace.
Meanwhile, Indigo has cancelled its routes to Almaty in Kazakhstan and Tashkent in Uzbekistan until May 7.
"Approximately 50 international routes operated by IndiGo will require longer sectors and hence may be subject to some slight schedule adjustments. With the same restrictions and limited rerouting options, unfortunately Almaty and Tashkent are outside the operational range of IndiGo’s current fleet,” stated an Indigo statement.
"Hence flights to Almaty stand cancelled from 27th of April until at least 7th of May and to Tashkent from 28th of April until 7th May 2025,” added the InterGlobe Enterprises controlled airline.
A Spicejet spokesperson said, “Our flights to the UAE from North India will operate via alternate routes. As a result, these flights will carry additional fuel to account for the longer flying time. There is no significant impact on our flight schedules.
Pakistan has announced that the airspace closure will remain in effect until May 23. During a similar closure in 2019, India’s government reported that the shutdown of Pakistani airspace for nearly five months resulted in a loss of at least $64 million for Air India, IndiGo, and other airlines.
While fare hikes are most likely due to the longer route and flight time, no airline was ready to comment on this aspect until Friday night
The longish route to be taken and the fuel cost involved has not found much favour with the airlines, the source said. “Representatives of airlines have been busy lobbying with the Civil Aviation ministry seeking incentives to operate international flights along the extended route,” he said.
The same was done by the airlines after the Pulwama attacks in 2019 when Pakistan closed its airspace, he added.