Delhi, 24th April 2025:
Amid the escalation between India and Pakistan due to the terror attack on Indian tourist in Pahalgam, as a retaliatory step Pakistan closes it airspace for Indian carriers on Thursday. This is certainly going to impact the flight operations for Indian carriers as they might face longer duration and higher fuel burn for following diverted routes for international flights taking off from north India.
Pakistan has closed its airspace earlier also and as a result flights bound for Central Asia, the Caucasus, West Asia, Europe, the UK and North America were severely affected due to extended flight path avoiding Pakistan, which most of the airlines follow during regular schedule. However, the current ban doesn’t apply on international carrier which operates to India as they can continue to overfly Pakistan, which might give them a boost in terms of pricing in comparison to the Indian carriers, which might increase fare in long run to manage operational cost.
“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. 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,” the Tata group airline posted on X.
“Due to the sudden announcement of air space closure by Pakistan, 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. We encourage you to check the latest flight status. If your flight is impacted, please explore flexible rebooking options, or claim a refund through our website,” IndiGo said.
