Airlines Divert Routes to avoid Pakistan Airspace

Dubela, Kankana Maity: Indian airlines aren’t the only ones facing longer routes and higher costs due to Pakistan’s overflight ban. Many major western carriers are also choosing to avoid Pakistani airspace voluntarily, despite no official restrictions. As a result, Pakistan’s aviation authority is losing millions of dollars monthly in overflight fee revenues.

In the past two days, major European airlines including Lufthansa, British Airways, Swiss, Air France, ITA(Italy), and LOT(Poland) have voluntarily avoided Pakistani airspace due to rising tension between India and Pakistan. Flights between Europe and India are now taking about an extra hour journey on average. Airlines might eventually raise ticket prices to cover higher fuel costs, but it’s uncertain when that will occur. Air India could face annual losses of $600 million due to being unable to use Pakistani airspace.

Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority risks losing hundreds of millions each year in overflight fees. For instance, following India’s February 2019 airstrike in Balakot, Pakistan imposed an airspace ban that cost the authority at least $100 million in just five months.

Indian airlines are incurring $70-80 million in extra monthly costs due to beings barred from Pakistani airspace, according to CAPA. Meanwhile, international carriers avoiding Pakistan also aren’t paying to use its airspace, making the India-Pakistan tensions lose-lose for Pakistan.

Indian airlines, including Air India, Indigo and Spice Jet, have submitted their feedback to the Civil Aviation Ministry on the impact of Pakistan’s airspace closure, according to PTI. Pakistan imposed the ban following India’s action over a terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, that killed 26 tourists. In response, India also barred Pakistani flights from its airspace.