The recent closure of Pakistan airspace to Indian airlines, following the Pahalgam terrorist attack, could impose significant financial charges on Indian carriers. This decision, announced by Pakistan in the midst of increasing tensions, should increase operational costs by around 307 beliefs per month due to longer flight durations and higher fuel consumption.
According to a PTI analysis, airlines operating international flights from cities in northern India will face additional weekly expenses of approximately 77 curly of rupees. These expenses arise from the increase in fuel needs and extended flight times, which are direct consequences of airspace restrictions imposed by Pakistan.
Pakistan’s decision to close its airspace with Indian airlines from Thursday evening will affect more than 800 international flights operated by Indian carriers each week. An analysis of data from the airline calendar shows that these flights will suffer longer durations, an increase in fuel consumption and potential complications related to crew and flight planning. These flights generally pass through the Pakistani airspace on the way to destinations in the west of India. The impact is already obvious, because the flights of Indian airlines from northern India to Western Asia, Caucasus, Europe, the United Kingdom and North East America are reduced to longer paths.
Data from the CIRIUM ARMINAUTICAL ACCESSION SOCIETY indicate that Indian carriers should operate more than 6,000 flights in a path to various international destinations in April. Each week, nearly 800 flights are made from cities in northern India to regions such as North America, Europe, the United Kingdom and the Middle East. The adjustment of the flight tracks due to the closure of the airspace could add up to 1.5 hours of flight time for certain routes. This temporal extension results in an increase in costs – approximately RS 29 Lakh per flight to North America and Rs 22.5 Lakh to Europe, taking into account landing, parking and technical stopping costs.
The closure is particularly difficult for flights to the Middle East, which will need an additional 45 minutes, increasing spending by about 5 rupees per flight. With more than 1,200 bidirectional flights to Europe and North America per month, the total operational cost is estimated at around Rs 306 crores, almost corresponding to the overall monthly burden. Consequently, this situation presents problems of payload and availability of aircraft, in addition to the limitations of crew flight rights for airlines.
Indian airlines make efforts to adapt their flight schedules due to the restriction of the use of Pakistani airspace. In the midst of these developments, Indigo has announced adjustments to its operations, affecting in particular 50 international routes which will now require longer sectors.
Indigo has already interrupted its services in Almaty and Tashkent in Central Asia while the closure of the Pakistani airspace renders these destinations inaccessible for its plane.
In a press release, he noted: “With the same restrictions and the limited replay options, unfortunately, Almaty and Tashkent are outside the operational range of the current Indigo fleet.” Subsequent cancellations include flights to Almaty from April 27 at least on May 7 and Tashkent from April 28 to May 7. Other carriers such as Air India, Air India Express, Spicejet and Akasa Air have not yet announced any announcements.
