The extended prohibition on the use of Pakistani airspace is also likely to have a significant impact on the operational cost of Indian airlines, which may amount to an additional monthly cost of approximately ₹306 crore (USD 36.7 million).
This follows after Pakistan, on April 24, 2025, closed its airspace to Indian carriers following the Pahalgam terror attack and the heightened tensions between the two nations.
The shutdown of the direct air routes above Pakistan is compelling Indian carriers to use longer, indirect routes for their international flights, particularly those from northern Indian cities such as Delhi. These diversion tactics are mainly impacting flights to North America, Europe, and the Middle East, causing higher fuel consumption and longer flight times.
Analysis shows that flights to North America now take an extra flying time of up to 1.5 hours, at an additional cost of about ₹29 lakh per flight, including fuel and possible technical stoppage charges.
Likewise, flights to Europe are facing an addition of around 1.5 hours, resulting in a higher cost of about ₹22.5 lakh per journey. Even Middle Eastern flights, with a shorter extension of approximately 45 minutes, are costing around ₹5 lakh in addition to the operational costs per flight.
Figures from aviation analytics firm Cirium indicate that Indian airlines operate over 6,000 one-way international flights per month, of which almost 800 originate from northern Indian cities. Considering these figures, the additional expense on the almost 1,900 flights per month to the Middle East region would be approximately ₹90 crore. The 1,200 flights to North America and Europe are likely to contribute ₹306 crore to monthly operational expenses.
Besides the direct expense of higher fuel burn, the longer distances of these flights also pose a number of operational challenges to the airlines. Among these are lower payload capacities, limitations caused by extended flying times, and restrictions due to crew duty time limitations.
IndiGo has already indicated that around 50 of its international routes will need schedule realignments because of the increased flight sectors. The airline has also suspended its operations to Almaty and Tashkent temporarily, citing the increased range constraints due to the airspace restrictions.
Other major Indian airlines such as Air India, Air India Express, SpiceJet, and Akasa Air are also likely to suffer similar operational and financial constraints.
In retaliation to the airspace closure, Indian authorities are said to be looking into alternative routes of flight, including the possibility of utilizing airspace over the Hindu Kush mountain range to access Central Asia and further afield.
The government is also said to be considering approaching the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to resolve the airspace blockade on the grounds that it violates international civil aviation conventions.
The current India-Pakistan airspace closures, following the recent standoffs, are sharply increasing operating costs for Indian airlines by approximately ₹306 crore a month. Greater distances involve increased fuel use and operational complications, leading airlines to modify timetables and the government to investigate alternatives and the possibility of ICAO action.