By Surabhi Gupta
New Delhi: In the aftermath of the deadly terror strike in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, India has initiated several strong measures against Pakistan. Pakistan has in retaliation, shut out its airspace to India, resulting in major operational bottlenecks and financial implications for Indian airlines.
According to Pakistan's declaration after 6 PM IST on April 24, no Indian aircraft can fly through Pakistan's airspace. The sudden announcement forced several Indian airlines to react quickly as they had many aircrafts already airborne and some of their flights could fly over Pakistani territory.
"This has not happened for the first time," said Harsh Vardhan, an aviation expert, told ETV Bharat. "Pakistan has closed airspace before, and after the Balakot airstrike in 2019, Air India had to make a technical halt mid-way on its North America flights, and the same is happening again"
The aviation ban by Pakistan, as emphasised by Harsh Vardhan, would affect most flights bound to the west from India. "Our flights to the US, Europe and the Gulf countries will be hit hard. The flying time will increase considerably, may be from 40 to 75 minutes, because of the detours," he said.
He warned that though passengers who have already booked their tickets are not likely to incur immediate fare hikes but prolonged closure of the Pakistani airspace could result in sharp increases.
"If the standoff continues beyond three to six weeks, one can expect airlines to revise the ticket prices upwards," said Harsh Vardhan. "The major factor here is fuel consumption, which will rise because of longer flying times and thus would push up travel costs."
A pilot flying on international routes in this sector, told ETV Bharat without being named: "Flights to Europe and to the East Coast of the United States will be longer and will burn more fuel. Airlines may also have to go for technical refuelling stops, incurring higher costs."
Pilots will now have extended duty hours, complicating logistics for the airlines, it was feared. "Standby pilots and crew will be needed to avoid exceeding Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) and also to manage fatigue risk," explained the pilot.
"All these added costs from fuel to crew to technical stops, might reflect on ticket fare hike affecting air passengers in future," he added.
Historical Parallels: Lessons from 2019
Pakistan’s latest move mirrors its previous closure of airspace between February and July 2019, after India had carried out airstrikes in Balakot targeting Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camps. That five-month airspace shutdown had devastating financial impacts on Indian airlines, which had to reroute long-haul flights, leading to heavy losses.
According to India’s Civil Aviation Ministry sources, airlines suffered losses exceeding ₹500 crore during that period. Meanwhile, Pakistan incurred financial losses, too. BBC Urdu reported that Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Minister at the time, Ghulam Sarwar Khan, admitted that the closure cost Pakistan around $50 million in losses over flight revenue.
Disproportionate Impact on North India Airports
The current airspace ban by Pakistan is expected to hit flights from Delhi, Amritsar, and Lucknow particularly hard. These airports, serving as major gateways for flights heading westward, now face immediate operational hurdles.
Jitendra Bhargava, former Executive Director of Air India and an aviation expert, pointed out that flights from Mumbai may face minimal impact. "Flights departing from Mumbai towards Europe and America can avoid major disruptions. However, flights from Delhi will now need to first detour southwards—toward Ahmedabad or Mumbai—before heading to Europe or North America," he said.
This rerouting adds hundreds of kilometres to the journey, increasing fuel requirements and operational costs. Fuel prices are already a significant burden. According to Indian Oil Corporation, as of April 1, 2025, Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) costs $794.41 per kiloliter in Delhi and $794.40 in Mumbai.
Civil Aviation Ministry Issues Passenger-Centric Directive
Recognising the inevitable passenger impact due to route alterations and potential delays, the Civil Aviation Ministry issued a release announcing that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has enforced new passenger-handling regulations for airlines.
In the official release, the DGCA directed all airline operators to implement enhanced measures with immediate effect:
Transparent Communication:
Airlines must proactively inform passengers about route changes, extended travel times, and any technical halts during their journey at check-in, boarding, and via digital alerts.
Enhanced In-Flight Services: Carriers are instructed to revise catering services according to actual block times, ensuring adequate food, hydration, and special meal options, even accounting for technical stopovers.
Medical Readiness: Airlines must ensure sufficient on board medical supplies and confirm emergency medical services at airports identified for possible technical stops.
Customer Support Preparedness: Call centres and ground support must be ready to assist with delays, missed connections, and compensation claims according to aviation regulations.
Operational Coordination: Seamless internal coordination among flight operations, customer service, ground handling, inflight services, and medical support teams is mandated.
The Ministry has made it clear that non-compliance could lead to regulatory action under the applicable Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR). This directive will remain effective until further notice.
Moreover, additional technical halts increase the risk of delays, missed connections, and customer dissatisfaction—all of which must now be carefully managed under the DGCA’s strict guidelines.
Unfair Advantage for Foreign Airlines
An even more troubling aspect is that the airspace ban targets only Indian airlines. Foreign airlines operating from Delhi and other Indian cities can still use Pakistani airspace unhindered, giving them a competitive edge.
"Foreign carriers will continue operating on shorter, cheaper routes, while Indian airlines will suffer longer flying times and higher costs," Harsh Vardhan said. "This cost imbalance could cause Indian passengers to prefer foreign airlines, hurting Indian carriers even more."
Strategic Options and Diplomatic Moves
Indian authorities are reportedly exploring diplomatic channels to resolve the situation. Aviation experts stress that proactive dialogue with Pakistan and international regulatory bodies could help mitigate the impact.
