Brace for longer flights to the Gulf, Europe and the U.S. as Pakistan shuts its airspace
Indian airlines are bracing for significantly longer flight times – potentially adding up to 90 minutes for U.S. routes – and probable fare increases
by The Hindu Bureau · The HinduPakistan’s decision to close its airspace for all Indian airlines will force domestic carriers to take longer routes to destinations in the Gulf region, Europe, the U.K., and North America, which is likely to lead to a spike in airfares.
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The National Security Committee of Pakistan decided to close the airspace for all Indian-owned or operated airlines, according to a media statement issued by the Pakistan Prime Minister’s Office. A subsequent Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) specified that the restriction also includes aircraft leased by Indian airlines as well as military flights. The NOTAM is valid until May 23.
The impact of re-routing could lead to an increase in flight duration of up to 20 minutes for some destinations in West Asia, and up to 90 minutes for those in the U.S., resulting in more fuel burn and potentially higher airfares.
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Air India acknowledged the situation in a post on X, stating, “It is expected that some Air India flights to or from North America, U.K., Europe, and Middle East will take an alternative extended route.” IndiGo also said some of its international flights may be impacted due to the closure of Pakistani airspace, with the flights to Almaty and Tashkent already cancelled.
The immediate effects were visible shortly after the press statement was issued around 4:30 p.m. IndiGo’s Chandigarh to Dubai flight 6E 1481, which had commenced its journey minutes prior, continued on its path through Pakistan airspace, where it flew for over two hours. However, IndiGo’s Sharjah to Amritsar flight 6E 1428, which took off minutes later, was seen re-routing short of Pakistan nearly one hour into being airborne. Other flights already en route and scheduled to operate via Pakistani airspace had to stop for refuelling, in order to offset the additional fuel required for the longer flight path.
This is not the first such instance. On February 26, 2019, Pakistan had shut its airspace for all airlines in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack, during which 40 Central Reserve Police Force jawans were killed, followed by Indian Air Force airstrikes in Balakot, Pakistan. While Pakistan gradually removed restrictions for carriers of other countries then, the ban was withdrawn for Indian airlines five months later on July 16, 2019.
Published - April 24, 2025 11:20 pm IST