Flight delays, fuel costs rise as carriers avoid Pakistan; India may impose reciprocal ban
New Delhi: Several Indian carriers were forced to reroute international flights on Friday after Pakistan closed its airspace to all India-registered aircraft. Operators diverted their services over the Arabian Sea, Iran and China to avoid Pakistani airspace. India has signalled it may reciprocate by barring Pakistan’s airlines in turn.
At the time of the closure, Air India flights from Delhi to London and Vancouver to Delhi were already in Pakistani corridors and were permitted to complete their journeys. All other services had to scramble for alternative routings, resulting in widespread delays.
The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority issued a NOTAM effective from 12.30 UTC on April 24 through May 23, declaring its airspace “not available for Indian-registered or Indian-operated aircraft, including military flights.”
Carriers warn the longer routes will increase fuel burn and operational costs, pushing fares up by an estimated 8-12 per cent. Flights to Europe, North America, Central Asia and Russia will see the biggest delays; even regional sectors — such as Delhi–Dubai — may take an hour longer, and some long-haul services will require en-route fuel stops. Passengers seeking cancellations or rescheduling have complained of extra fees, which airlines say reflect dynamic pricing.
Budget carrier IndiGo confirmed that about 50 international routes will undergo schedule adjustments. In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), it said flights to Almaty (cancelled from April 27 to May 7) and Tashkent (cancelled April 28 to May 7) lie beyond its fleet’s extended range on the diverted routings. “We regret the inconvenience and are exploring all options to minimise disruption,” an IndiGo spokesperson said.
