Indian airlines are expected to incur losses up to $500 million per month after Pakistan closed its airspace to Indian-operated aircraft, according to aviation experts. The restriction has forced long-haul Indian flights to reroute, adding flight time, fuel costs, and operational complications.
The last such closure following the Pulwama attack in 2019 cost Indian airlines INR 700 crore in extra operational costs.
Flights such as Air India’s AI-190 from Toronto were diverted to Copenhagen for refueling, while another flight from Paris to Delhi and AI-162 from London to India had to refuel in Abu Dhabi.
A Sharjah-Amritsar flight was also rerouted near Turbat, while another Indian aircraft en route to India had to land in Ahmedabad after traversing the Gulf of Oman due to fuel issues.
The Pakistani airspace closure was implemented shortly after a high-level meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) in Islamabad. All Indian-registered, owned, leased or operated aircraft, including military flights, are banned from entering Pakistani airspace.
An estimated 200 to 300 Indian flights use Pakistan’s airspace daily, including around 70 to 80 round-trip international services from airlines such as Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet, Akasa Air, and Air India Express. The closure is expected to add up to two hours of flight time per route, spike fuel consumption and crew costs.
On the day of the airspace shutdown alone, reportedly 50 Indian flights were impacted.
The closure follows rising diplomatic and military tensions between India and Pakistan. This week’s attack on tourists in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. India blamed Pakistan for the incident, though it provided no evidence. Pakistan firmly rejected the accusations, calling them baseless and politically motivated.
In a series of retaliatory moves, both countries have suspended special visa arrangements, closed the only functioning land border, expelled each other’s defence officials, and reduced embassy staffing.
India has also suspended the Indus Water Treaty, prompting Pakistan to warn that any interference with its water rights would be considered an act of war.
The duration of the airspace closure remains uncertain.
