Commercial aviation entities continue to steer clear of Pakistani airspace, despite granted permission.
INDIA-PAKISTAN TENSIONS FORCE INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES TO BYPASS PAKISTANI AIRSPACE
New Delhi, April 24, 2025 - Escalating tensions between India and Pakistan have led several major European airlines to voluntarily reroute their flights, avoiding Pakistani airspace due to safety concerns. This decision comes after Pakistan closed certain northern air routes to Indian carriers.
Airlines such as Lufthansa, British Airways, SWISS, ITA Airways, LOT Polish Airlines, and Air France are among those that have chosen to avoid the disputed airspace. Although there are no official NOTAMs (Notices to Airmen) requiring them to do so, these carriers have conducted independent risk assessments and deemed the airspace potentially unsafe due to the ongoing regional conflict.
The diversion from the regular flight paths has significant financial implications for Pakistan. The country's airspace offers strategic shortcuts for flights traveling between Europe and South Asia; however, the decision to bypass Pakistani airspace results in longer flight paths, adding up to an hour or more of flying time per flight. This increased travel time contributes to higher fuel consumption and operational costs for airlines, resulting in a loss of revenue for Pakistan in the form of overflight fees, a crucial source of income for the country's civil aviation sector.
The broader aviation economy of Pakistan is also affected by decreased demand for airspace usage due to the rerouting. This creates a ripple effect impacting foreign exchange earnings and other areas of the economy.
Indian carriers operating in international routes are anticipating weekly losses ranging from Rs 70 to 80 crore as a result of the standoff between the two countries. Air India, the Indian carrier with the highest number of flights utilizing Pakistani airspace, has reportedly sought a subsidy from the Indian government to offset losses for affected international flights while the overflight ban remains in effect.
Pakistan, in response to the global aviation industry's actions, has temporarily closed the airspace of specific regions in Karachi and Lahore until May 31. Previously, it had closed airspace from April 28 to 30 between Islamabad and Lahore for military flight movements.
Sources:[1] BBC News[2] The Hindu[3] Reuters[4] Al Jazeera
- The ongoing political tensions between India and Pakistan have resulted in increased expenses for international airlines due to the need to bypass Pakistan's airspace, as prolonged flight paths lead to higher fuel consumption and operational costs, which may impact the revenue streams of countries like Pakistan that rely on overflight fees.
- The rerouting of flights away from Pakistan's airspace due to safety concerns caused by the regional conflict leads to a decrease in demand for airspace usage by foreign airlines, contributing to a potential ripple effect on Pakistan's economy, affecting areas such as foreign exchange earnings.
- As a consequence of the escalating India-Pakistan tensions, some airlines have conducted independent risk assessments, determining the disputed airspace potentially unsafe, thus altering their investing strategies in route planning and contributing to financial losses for Pakistani airports and the broader aviation industry.
