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India–Pakistan airspace closures reach sixth month
India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation filed its latest NOTAM on Monday, extending the closure until 5:29 a.m. local time on Oct. 24. Pakistan issued an almost identical directive two days earlier. The mutual blockades, first imposed in late spring, are now headed into their sixth consecutive month.Which flights feel the pinch?
According to global schedule tracker Cirium, almost 400 west-bound departures leave Delhi, Amritsar, Jaipur and Lucknow each week. When return legs are counted, roughly 800 weekly flights operated by Air India, IndiGo, Air India Express, Akasa Air and SpiceJet must now detour around Pakistani territory. Routes once charted in a straight line over Lahore or Karachi are instead swinging south over the Arabian Sea or north toward Central Asia and the Himalayas. The extra mileage can add as little as 15 minutes on a hop to Dubai—or several hours on ultra-long-haul segments to London, Toronto or New York.Central Asia loses nonstop links
For budget travelers counting on narrow-body service from Delhi to Almaty or Tashkent, there is no easy workaround. IndiGo has suspended both routes because the longer path exceeds the range of its Airbus A321s. Connections are still possible via Istanbul, Doha or Abu Dhabi, but total journey times have ballooned.Why Pakistan feels less pain
While Indian carriers are scrambling to re-gate, re-crew and re-fuel hundreds of weekly departures, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has only a handful of flights that normally cross Indian territory—about six per week on the Kuala Lumpur–Lahore/Islamabad corridor, Cirium data show. The imbalance in international footprints means that India’s still-booming aviation market shoulders almost all of the inconvenience.The cost spiral: fuel, crews and fares
Back in 2019, a four-month shutdown of Pakistani airspace cost Indian airlines an estimated Rs 700 crore in extra fuel and logistical headaches. Today’s fleets are larger and networks broader, so the price tag is climbing. In a statement, Air India said the current detours “could cost the carrier about $600 million on an annual basis.” Higher operating costs rarely stay on the balance sheet for long; they typically drift into ticket prices. Leisure travelers booking last-minute autumn breaks to Europe or North America are already reporting steeper fares from Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.Ripple effects beyond India
• Gulf super-connectors such as Emirates and Qatar Airways also incur extra minutes when crossing the Indo-Pakistani frontier, creating minor schedule tweaks at their Dubai and Doha hubs. • Flights from Kathmandu, Colombo and Dhaka to the Middle East now hug new corridors set by regional Air Traffic Control, occasionally lengthening layovers. • Cargo rates for perishable goods leaving North India have risen because wide-body belly space is scarcer on the elongated routes.Tips for Travelers
- Monitor flight times: Departure and arrival slots may shift by 30 minutes or more even after ticketing. Sign up for text alerts from your airline.
- Build buffer time: If you have a tight onward connection in Dubai, Doha or Istanbul, consider buying a later segment or scheduling a longer layover.
- Check aircraft type: Ultra-long flights (Delhi–New York, Mumbai–San Francisco) might swap aircraft to offset extra fuel burn. Seat maps and amenities can change with little notice.
- Price shop regional detours: Flying via Singapore, Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur may look geographically odd but can shave hours off total journey time until the airspace reopens.
- Mind visa rules: A reroute that forces an overnight stop could require a transit visa. Verify regulations for the back-up airport listed on your itinerary.
FAQ: India–Pakistan airspace closure
- How long will the ban last?
- Officially until 5:29 a.m. India time on Oct. 24. However, the history of rolling one-month extensions suggests it could continue.
- Are humanitarian or emergency flights exempt?
- Yes, case-by-case clearances are possible, but commercial travelers should not rely on them.
- Will tickets be refunded if my flight is canceled?
- Standard airline policies apply. Most Indian carriers are offering free rebooking within the same cabin class.
- Is it safe to fly the alternate routes?
- Yes. International aviation bodies have validated the detour corridors, and flights remain under positive radar control.
Bottom line for jet-setters
Until India and Pakistan reopen their skies to one another, expect longer flight times, sporadic schedule changes and potentially higher fares on almost every west-bound route out of northern India. Bookmark your airline’s travel-advice page, keep an eye on departure boards, and allow some extra rupees—or frequent-flier miles—for unexpected detours.Destination
