Pakistan Closes Airspace for Indian Flights
Pakistan has officially announced the closure of its airspace to India, as a result of which Indian airlines will not only face huge financial losses but also a significant increase in time loss and fuel costs.
PIA spokesperson Abdullah Khan told a private news conference that Pakistan’s airspace is the shortest route to India, which is used for flights to Russia, Europe, Canada, or the US.
Now that this route has been closed, Indian planes will have to take an alternative, longer route.
He said that this change will increase the duration of flights by an average of one hour, which will consume about 2,200 gallons of additional fuel. If the price per gallon is $4 to $5, then there will be an additional cost of $7,000 to $8,000 per flight.
According to Civil Aviation Authority Director Abdul Qadir, flights from Delhi and Mumbai to Europe, North America, and Central Asia will be the most affected.
He said that Indian airlines will now have to change their routes via the Arabian Sea, Iran, and China, which will increase both time and cost.
The scheduling and operations of Air India, Vistara, and other international Indian flights will also be deeply affected, and this decision has emerged as a major challenge for India’s aviation industry.
