Airlines operating in India face increased expenses and longer routes due to the ban on using Pakistani airspace.
HITTING ROUGH AIR:
INDIA'S TOP CARRIERS, AIR INDIA AND INDIGO, FEEL THE HEAT AS PAKISTAN SHUTS ITS AIRSPACE Amid escalating tensions over a deadly attack in IIOJK, both airlines struggle with increased fuel costs and longer journey times.
India points fingers at Pakistan for being involved in Tuesday's attack in the Pahalgam area of IIOJK, where 26 men lost their lives at the hands of gunmen. Pakistan denies any involvement.
New Delhi, one of the world's busiest airports, is expected to take the brunt of the chaos, as flights typically use Pakistani airspace to fly to Western and Middle Eastern destinations.
In response to the escalating tension, Pakistan has enacted a series of measures, including closing its airspace to Indian airlines. International airlines remain unaffected.
Data from Flightradar24 reveals the impact starting late Thursday, as Air India and IndiGo began to reroute flights to New York, Azerbaijan, and Dubai – all of which typically use Pakistan airspace.
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India's worst affected airport faces an extended journey time, which translates to higher fuel costs and reduced cargo capacity to accommodate the extra fuel. "An Indian aviation industry executive, who declined to be identified, commented that the extended routes will add up to an hour to Air India's Middle East flights."
The closure of Pakistan airspace is just another hurdle for the Indian airline industry, which was already grappling with jet delivery delays from Boeing and Airbus. Aircraft fuel and oil costs usually make up for about 30% of an airline's operating costs, making it the biggest component.
IndiGo reported that "a few" of its flights will be affected, while Air India acknowledged that some flights to or from North America, the UK, Europe, and Middle East will take an alternative extended route. Ajay Awtaney, founder of aviation-focused website Live From ALounge, stated that Air India is currently the most affected with the largest long- and ultra-long haul network out of Delhi.
According to data from Cirium Ascend, IndiGo, Air India, and its budget unit Air India Express have roughly 1,200 flights combined from New Delhi scheduled for Europe, the Middle East, and North America in April.
The 2019 closure of Pakistan airspace for about five months during tensions between the neighbors resulted in a loss of at least $64 million to Air India, IndiGo, and other airlines. One Indian airline pilot told Reuters the closure will disrupt schedules but also force airlines to redo their calculations of flying hours in relation to regulations and adjust their crew and pilot rosters accordingly.
It is reported that the move will add an additional 90 minutes to Delhi to Baku/Tbilisi routes and force cancellations on some routes like Delhi-Almaty due to inefficiency. The flight duration on routes like Delhi to Baku is now extended to 5 hours and 43 minutes via a longer route that involves going southwest to India's Gujarat state and then over the Arabian Sea, before swinging back north over Iran to Azerbaijan, instead of the previous 5 hours 5 minutes through Pakistan. Pakistani authorities have stated the ban will remain in effect until May 23.
- The Indian aviation industry, particularly Air India and IndiGo, is adversely affected by the closure of Pakistani airspace, as it adds roughly an hour to Middle East flights and increases fuel costs.
- An Indian aviation executive noted that the extended routes will result in higher fuel costs for Air India, reducing cargo capacity due to the additional fuel needed.
- Ajay Awtaney, founder of aviation-focused website Live From ALounge, stated that Air India is the most affected airline, given its extensive long- and ultra-long haul network out of Delhi.
- The closure of Pakistan airspace will disrupt schedules, forcing airlines like Air India and IndiGo to adjust their crew and pilot rosters according to new flying hours regulations, as reported by one Indian airline pilot to Reuters.
