Overview
- Pakistan's airspace closure, effective April 24, was announced in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 tourists.
- Indian airlines, including Air India, IndiGo, and SpiceJet, are rerouting flights to Europe, North America, and the Middle East, increasing travel times by up to 2.5 hours.
- The extended routes are driving up operational costs, with airfares expected to rise by 8–12% due to higher fuel consumption and payload limitations.
- IndiGo has temporarily canceled flights to Almaty and Tashkent, citing aircraft range constraints on the longer routes, with cancellations lasting until at least May 7.
- The situation mirrors a similar airspace closure in 2019, which lasted five months and cost Indian airlines over Rs 540 crore in losses.