In the near term, flight fares are expected to witness an eight to 12 per cent hike. Air India and IndiGo announced that some of their international flights have been impacted after Pakistan barred Indian flights from flying in their airspace.
In the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 dead, tensions between India and Pakistan rose, with Pakistan closing their airspace for Indian flights. This decision will leave an impact on international flights, especially those flying from Delhi and other northern cities. These flights will now take a longer time to reach their destinations, with airfares likely to witness a hike as the flights will have to take a longer route, thus increasing the time that they are airborne, resulting in more fuel being spent.
In the near term, flight fares are expected to witness an eight to 12 per cent hike. Air India and IndiGo on Thursday announced that some of their international flights have been impacted after Pakistan barred Indian flights from flying in their airspace. The airlines mentioned that flights connecting North America, the UK, Europe and the Middle East are likely to take an alternative longer route.
Apart from these airlines, Air India Express, SpiceJet and Akasa Air, which also operate internationally, will be affected.
All west-bound flights departing from northern Indian cities, including Delhi, are expected to be affected by the closure. According to senior airline officials and pilots, these flights will be required to take longer alternative routes over the Arabian Sea.
What does this closure mean for Indian travellers and flight passengers?
Expensive air tickets
Indian passengers who are planning their trip to the UK, Europe or any other country which requires flights to use the Pakistan airspace might have to shell out more money as prices could see a spike with aeroplanes having to take longer routes.
Due to the extended flight paths, airlines will require additional fuel, leading to increased operational costs and potential payload challenges. The Pakistan airspace is off-limits to aircraft registered in India, as well as those owned or leased by Indian operators.
Rising operational costs combined with payload limitations present a financially unsustainable scenario for airlines, which already function on wafer-thin profit margins. With external constraints preventing airlines from increasing load factors or carrying more passengers on international routes, airfares are expected to rise.
Extended routes, longer time to reach destination
A senior pilot speaking to PTI said that the flight time for certain US and European routes operated by Indian airlines could increase by approximately 2 to 2.5 hours.
The actual duration of international flights will vary depending on the specific routes chosen by the airlines, as multiple alternatives are available. A more accurate assessment will be possible once airlines submit their flight plans, according to a senior Air Traffic Controller.
Senior airline officials stated that Pakistan’s airspace is a vital corridor in the region and is extensively utilised by Indian carriers. They added that international flights originating from cities such as Delhi, Amritsar, Jaipur, Lucknow, and Varanasi will be directly affected, as these flights will now be required to take longer alternate routes.
Here’s what Indian airlines said
In a post on X, Air India said that 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, the UK, Europe, and the Middle East will take an alternative extended route.
“Air India regrets the inconvenience caused to our passengers due to this unforeseen airspace closure that is outside our control. We would like to reiterate that at Air India, the safety of our customers and crew remains top priority. To check if your flight is affected by this disruption, please call our Contact Centre on 011 69329333, 011 69329999 or visit our official website,” the airline said.
IndiGo said that due to the sudden announcement of airspace closure by Pakistan, a few of our international flights are being impacted. “We understood the inconvenience this may cause and our teams are doing their best to help you reach your destination at the earliest,” the airline said in a post on X.
(With PTI inputs)
