Indian carriers, Air India and IndiGo, are preparing for increased fuel expenses and longer flight durations as they are forced to reroute international flights following the closure of Pakistan’s airspace. This decision comes in light of escalating tensions following a tragic militant attack in Kashmir.
On Tuesday, India claimed that elements from Pakistan were involved in the attack that resulted in the deaths of 26 people in the Pahalgam region of Indian-administered Kashmir. Pakistan has refuted these allegations.
As a result of these tensions, the two nuclear-armed nations have initiated a series of countermeasures, including India’s temporary suspension of a crucial river water-sharing agreement.
International carriers remain unaffected by this airspace ban.
However, late Thursday, both Air India and IndiGo began to modify their flight routes to destinations including New York, Azerbaijan, and Dubai, which typically traverse Pakistan’s airspace, according to information from tracking site Flightradar24.
The impact will be most significant at New Delhi’s airport, a major global hub, as many flights traveling to the West and the Middle East rely on crossing into Pakistani airspace.
According to data from Cirium Ascend, IndiGo, Air India, and its subsidiary Air India Express have approximately 1,200 flights scheduled from New Delhi to Europe, the Middle East, and North America in April.
Air India’s flights to the Middle East will experience about a one-hour delay, resulting in higher fuel consumption and reduced cargo capacity, as reported by an unnamed Indian aviation executive.
Fuel expenses typically account for around 30% of an airline’s operational costs, making it the largest cost factor.
Flight Cancellations and Adjustments
IndiGo announced that around 50 international routes may experience slight modifications. Additionally, flights to Almaty will be cancelled from April 27 to at least May 7, and flights to Tashkent will be halted from April 28 until May 7.
The growth strategies of Indian airlines have already been hampered by delays in aircraft deliveries from Boeing and Airbus.
One pilot from an Indian airline indicated to Reuters that the airspace closure would compel airlines to recalculate allowable flight hours and rearrange crew schedules accordingly.
Another executive noted that their team worked late into Thursday night assessing the ramifications of the airspace ban.
Both individuals requested anonymity when speaking.
For example, IndiGo flight 6E1803 from New Delhi to Baku on Thursday took 5 hours and 43 minutes using an alternate route that led southwest over India’s Gujarat state and across the Arabian Sea, before turning north over Iran towards Azerbaijan. This contrasts with the previous day’s flight through Pakistani airspace, which took only 5 hours and 5 minutes.
The ban from Pakistan is effective until May 23.
In a prior instance in 2019, the Indian government indicated that the closure of Pakistani airspace for roughly five months led to losses of at least $64 million for Air India, IndiGo, and other airlines.