Pakistan Increases Ban on Indian Flights in its Airspace

Pakistan has chosen to extend its ban on Indian flights using its airspace for another month starting today.

Aviation sources say Pakistan first closed its airspace to Indian flights on April 24 amid rising tensions between the two countries. The ban was then extended on May 23 for an additional month, which was supposed to end today. However, officials have now decided to prolong the restriction for one more month.

A NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) about this extension will be released later today.

It’s worth mentioning that India has also shut its airspace to Pakistani flights in retaliation.

Because of Pakistan’s airspace closure, Indian airlines have suffered losses of over Rs 800 crore in just one month. If this continues and the Indian government does not provide the special support requested by airlines, they may have to make drastic and major decisions to sustain their operations.

Sources indicate Indian airlines faced a fuel cost increase of around Rs 500 crore during the first month, while stopover expenses for 30 days are estimated at Rs 3 billion. Experts say a Boeing 777 uses about 6,668 kg of fuel per hour, while Airbus A319, A320, or A321 models consume roughly 2,400 kg per hour.

Flights from India now have to fly 2 to 4 hours longer, with calculations based on an additional 150 hours. For flights to and from the US, Canada, Europe, the UK, and other countries, about 75 Boeing and 75 Airbus aircraft flying two extra hours daily are using additional fuel valued at $557,625.

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