Airspace restrictions in the Middle East due to the Iran war have imposed yet another challenge on Indian airlines, which regard the region as a vital corridor for flights to Europe and the US, especially since Pakistan prohibited Indian carriers from using its airspace last year.
As the conflict in the Middle East forces flight rescheduling and rerouting, Indian airlines find themselves with limited alternatives, as they are also unable to fly over Pakistan amid an airspace ban.
According to Cirium data, the country’s largest international carriers, Air India and IndiGo, did not operate 64% of their 1,230 scheduled flights to the Middle East, Europe, and North America over the past 10 days.
“It is a double whammy for Indian airlines that operate international routes,” Amit Mittal, an independent aviation expert stated.
Since last April, Pakistan has barred Indian carriers from its airspace following military tensions between the two neighboring countries.
Last week, HSBC indicated that the ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East would impose a “significant burden” on the costs and profitability of Indian airlines.
HSBC projected that a week of cancellations to the affected regions could reduce its estimate for the airline’s annual profit-before-tax by 1.2%.
Although the two airlines have recently resumed some of the affected routes, IndiGo is facing distinct challenges.
Pakistan extends airspace ban for India
Earlier, Pakistan prolonged the ban of its airspace to Indian aircraft for an additional month.
The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) verified this by issuing a new notice to airmen (NOTAM).
According to the latest directive, the ban will be effective until March 23, 2026, encompassing both civilian and military aircraft registered in India.
This restriction implies that no aircraft registered in India, including commercial airliners and military flights, is allowed to enter or traverse Pakistani airspace during this timeframe
Read more: Pakistan extends airspace closure for Indian flights by another month
