Pakistan's airspace closure, in force since April 24, has significantly disrupted international flight operations for Indian carriers, primarily Air India and IndiGo, according to a Moneycontrol report. In the initial five days following the airspace shutdown, approximately 600 west-bound international flights have been affected.

Moneycontrol's analysis, based on data from online travel agents and flight tracking platforms, reveals that around 120 of these flights have been compelled to make additional refuelling stops en route to Europe, North America, and other destinations typically involving Pakistani airspace.

Islamabad's decision to bar Indian carriers from its airspace, effective April 24, came in the aftermath of India's response to the terrorist attack on tourists in Pahalgam on April 22, which resulted in at least 26 fatalities and numerous injuries, Moneycontrol noted.

Indian airlines are now rerouting their international flights over Mumbai and Ahmedabad, traversing the Arabian Sea towards Muscat before proceeding to their final destinations, Moneycontrol detailed.

The report highlighted that in March, around 800 international flights operated by Indian airlines flew over Pakistani airspace every week. These reroutings are proving to be a complex and expensive undertaking. International flights originating from Delhi, Amritsar, Srinagar, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, and Jaipur destined for the Middle East are now experiencing flight time increases of 15 to 45 minutes. Flights to Europe are facing even longer delays, with an added 1.5 hours, Moneycontrol stated.

Linus Bauer, founder and managing director of UAE-based consultancy BAA & Partners, told Moneycontrol that if Pakistan’s airspace closure persists for one month, the total financial impact on Indian airlines could be in the range of $10mn to $15mn.

This financial burden encompasses direct operational costs such as fuel and crew overtime, along with indirect revenue losses stemming from flight cancellations, reduced cargo capacity, and schedule unreliability, Bauer explained to Moneycontrol.

The increased flight distances are leading to an estimated additional cost of $1,350 to $3,000 per flight solely due to higher fuel consumption. Jet fuel constitutes the largest single expense for airlines, accounting for roughly 25 percent of their total costs.

Industry insiders informed Moneycontrol that these rising costs are likely to translate to higher airfares. Additionally, the continued ability of airlines from other nations to overfly Pakistan could provide them with a cost advantage over their Indian counterparts on the affected routes.

While the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) stated on April 28 that it is collaborating with Indian airlines to better assess the impact of the airspace closure and devise optimal solutions for both passengers and carriers, domestic airlines have begun contemplating fare hikes, according to Moneycontrol.