'Higher fare, longer routes': Pakistan airspace closure likely to affect Indian carriers

The restriction applies to all aircraft registered in India, as well as those owned or leased by Indian operators.

Pakistan has closed its airspace for all Indian flights following New Delhi’s diplomatic action against Islamabad after the deadly Pahalgam attack in Jammu & Kashmir.

The restriction applies to all aircraft registered in India, as well as those owned or leased by Indian operators.

Pakistan last closed its airspace for nearly five months period in 2019 after the Balakot airstrike. Indian carriers then lost around Rs 600 crore, then Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had told the Rajya Sabha.

It might be too early to assess the exact impact of the airspace closure this time.

However, it will affect Indian carriers, which rely on Pakistani airspace for numerous daily overflights, with routes from major Indian cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Goa, and Lucknow to destinations in the Middle East, Europe, and beyond.

Longer routes

Air India and IndiGo have already confirmed that their international flights are impacted by Pakistan's airspace closure.

The airlines have urged passengers to double-check flight timings and schedules before arriving at the airport.

Flights from Delhi and other northern cities are likely to take longer routes, requiring alternative paths over the Arabian Sea, PTI reported.

Air India operates flights to West Asia, Europe, the UK and North America, while IndiGo operates flights to West Asia, Turkey, the Caucasus and Central Asia. Air India Express, Akasa Air and SpiceJet’s west-bound international flights are to destinations in West Asia.

“The duration of international flights will vary based on the alternate routes chosen by airlines, and multiple routing options are currently under consideration. A clearer picture will emerge once airlines submit their flight plans, a senior Air Traffic Controller told PTI.

The duration of some of the European flights operated from north India will increase by about 2.5 hours, a senior pilot told NDTV Profit.

Flights to the US may require a refueling stop in Europe. This may add about four hours to the journey. In 2019, Air India’s flights from Delhi to both Chicago and New York JFK were routed via Vienna.

More fuel, higher operational costs

As a result, aircraft will burn more fuel while taking longer routes and this will lead to increased operational costs for airlines.

This will eventually create payload issues, forcing airlines to reduce the overall weight of the aircraft, according to PTI.

This situation, coupled with higher operational costs and payload restrictions, is reportedly not financially sustainable for airlines, which already operate on narrow profit margins.

Also, since airlines won’t be able to accommodate more passengers or higher load factors due to these constraints, airfares may rise.

India has suspended all the visas issued to Pakistani nationals with immediate effect.

As per the notification released by the Ministry of External Affairs, all the existing valid visas issued to Pakistani nationals stand revoked with effect from April 27. Additionally, the medical visas would be valid till April 29.