By Surabhi Gupta
New Delhi: India has further extended the closure of its airspace to Pakistani aircraft for another month effective as per NOTAM (Notice to Airmen). The Ministry of Civil Aviation states that Indian airspace is closed to anyone who operates any aircraft registered in Pakistan or any airline or operator registered in Pakistan or any military flight.
Pakistan has also extended the closure of its airspace to Indian aircraft. Reacting to it, former Ambassador Deepak Vohra told ETV Bharat, "In any case, their National Airlines is in deep trouble. They have no money, there's lots of corruption. There was a scandal. Some years ago of Pakistani Pilots purchased their licenses from the local barber shops."
"So Europe and the United States banned flights by PI. Then they had some issues with all, their crew members being overweight, and some of their crew members would run away once they landed in the United. However, their flights are mainly to the west and whatever, aircraft they have left, probably 3 or 4. They go to Dubai, they go to Saudi Arabia and so on, they don't go to these so they don't really overfly Indian airspace and that's not going to hurt them," he added.
He said Indian airlines will have an impact to a certain extent after the airspace closure by Pakistan. "To some extent, yes. Certainly, more than it will hurt Pakistan. Because as far as we are concerned, the aviation sector in India is booming growing by 30-40% a year. New aircraft are being ordered and while the domestic aircraft sector, domestic tourism sector, domestic air travel sector is growing much faster than the international air travel sector yet with growing income levels, with growing purchasing power, the Indian consumer now wants to travel, he wants to go overseas," Vohra said.
"We see the lines of people wanting visas to go to Europe, or to the United States, or to Japan, or wherever. So, for those Indian Travelers, wanting to go west, certainly, it will impact as the fairs will go up their airlines will pass the fairs on to them, but the real reassurance to us is that our people can afford it. We now have the power, the economic power to afford higher prices, and we will continue to do what we want. Pakistan will lose ultimately in terms of whatever revenues they were supposed to get, if people are overflying or people land there, airlines like that, there's going to be a lot of trouble but then no one has accused Pakistan of being clever. They are known to cut off their face to spite their nose," Vohra added.
Increasing Operational Costs and Passenger Inconvenience
Since April 24, over 800+ weekly flights from North Indian airports have been re-routed since Pakistan closed its airspace to Indian flights. The airports impacted include international flights from Delhi, Amritsar, Jaipur, and Lucknow. Air India, IndiGo, Akasa Air, and SpiceJet have amended routing to avoid Pakistani airspace.
IndiGo, in particular, has had to suspend flights to Almaty and Tashkent. According to airline data analytics firm Cirium, about 640 of the affected weekly flights originate or arrive at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, India’s busiest aviation hub.
Airspace Diplomacy: A One-Sided Impact
On April 30, India closed its airspace to Pakistani aircraft and airlines. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) operates just six flights a week to destinations such as Kuala Lumpur, the only ones routinely crossing Indian skies.
Vohra also slammed Pakistan's move of not allowing an Indian aircraft in its airspace during an emergency. "Pakistan declined permission to overfly its airspace to a domestic Indian airline that was experiencing turbulence on its approved regular route. So it wanted to make a detour to avoid that turbulence to protect the lives of its passengers. But Pakistan declined that.. What Pakistan did is contrary to all accepted norms of humane and civilized behaviour. They just do what they want because for them Jihad overrides everything else."
Vohra explained that while countries do have full sovereignty over their airspace, a principle enshrined in international aviation law under the 1944 Chicago Convention, there is a long-standing humanitarian exception for emergencies.
"If an airliner is in trouble, seeks permission for an emergency landing, or if there is a sick person on board... we allow the plane to land. Pakistan's action violated that universally accepted exception. If something untoward had happened, they would have celebrated it as another victory for Jihad," Vohra said.
Veteran Indian diplomat KP Fabian told ETV Bharat, "There is no bilateral air flight between India and Pakistan. The last flight from Karachi to Bombay by Pakistan Airlines was on 7th May 2017. The decision to stop the flight was attributed to 'commercial reasons' though there was tension between the neighbours."
He explained that both countries, being members of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), are bound by the Chicago Convention, which affirms national sovereignty over airspace. However, he highlighted that Pakistan’s refusal broke from established aviation practices.
He said, "It is an established custom to permit a technical halt especially when the flight is facing danger. Pakistan has violated that custom. There is nothing much India can do about it as both countries have denied overflight rights to the other. Neighbours cannot be changed."
