On Thursday, Pakistan decided to close its airspace to Indian-owned and operated airlines. This move comes in retaliation for India’s response to the recent Pahalgam attack where 26 tourists lost their lives. Experts believe this will result in longer flights to Europe, North America and the Middle East from northern India. Indian airlines have issued advisories about route adjustments for several flights.
Airlines Issue Advisory As Pakistan Shuts Airspace For India
With Pakistan’s airspace shut, India-registered aircraft and planes owned or leased by Indian operators cannot use the Pakistani airspace. This means all West-bound flights flying from north Indian cities, including Delhi, will be impacted due to the closure.
According to the Hindustan Times, these flights will now have to take alternative routes that will be longer over the Arabian Sea. Airlines like Air India, IndiGo, and Akasa Air issued statements about how some of their international flights will be impacted by the Pakistan airspace closure.
These airlines have issued travel advisories and have asked passengers to check for any disruptions in their flight schedule beforehand. In the post on X, Air India said, “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.”
While SpiceJet has not issued an official travel advisory yet, in an interview with Financial Express online, the airline confirmed that flights from North India to the UAE will be rerouted via alternate paths.
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How Will This Impact Indian Travellers?
According to the Hindustan Times, besides longer flights to Europe, North America and the Middle East from North India, the airspace closure will also cause a 30% increase in airfares for flights to the Middle East and around 40% increase in ticket prices for Europe and North America. The report explained that avoiding Pakistan’s airspace means adding up to 90 minutes to the duration of all flights to Europe, Canada, and the US from North Indian cities. This means longer flights and price hikes on these routes.
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Cover Image Courtesy: X/@airindia & X/AkasaAir