Pakistan airspace closure forces IndiGo to reroute flights via Istanbul

IndiGo, India’s largest airline, is facing major challenges after Pakistan continued to block Indian airlines from using its airspace. This closure has forced IndiGo to spend more on longer flight routes, leading to big financial losses.

To cope, IndiGo has teamed up with Turkish Airlines in a code-share agreement. Now, passengers flying from cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Amritsar will first go to Istanbul and then connect to flights to Europe and the US.

Pakistan’s airspace ban is costing Indian airlines millions each day, while helping Turkey gain more business in international travel. Currently, IndiGo runs about 55 flights a week to Istanbul, working with Turkish Airlines to keep international routes running.

However, tensions between India and Turkey have increased recently. India has raised concerns about Turkey’s alleged support for drone activity near its border, warning of potential trade impacts.

Despite these political strains, IndiGo’s partnership with Turkish Airlines is seen as a smart move to limit financial damage and keep services going for travelers. Experts believe that if the airspace issue isn’t resolved soon, Indian airlines may need to look for more partnerships and costly alternative routes.