Closure of Pakistani Airspace Costs Indian Airlines ₹200 Crore

Karachi: The ongoing closure of Pakistani airspace has dealt a major blow to Indian airlines, resulting in losses exceeding ₹200 crore over the past 10 days, with more than 1,000 flights affected.

Major carriers, including Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet, Akasa Air, and Air India Express, have either canceled flights or been forced to operate longer routes, doubling fuel, crew, and refueling costs.

Flights originating from Delhi, Mumbai, Amritsar, Ahmedabad, and Bengaluru have been particularly impacted. U.S.-bound flights are now rerouting through Europe, requiring mid-journey crew changes. Meanwhile, IndiGo has suspended its operations in several Central Asian countries.

Passengers are facing significant inconvenience due to delays, extended flight durations (4 to 10 hours), cancellations, and lack of timely refunds.

This isn’t the first time India has faced such setbacks—in 2019, a similar airspace restriction by Pakistan led to estimated losses of ₹700 crore for Indian carriers.