Airspace curbs linked to the Pakistan closure and the continuing Middle East conflict are increasing Air India’s flying time, fuel consumption and operating expenses, with the airline saying the impact is now worse than it was last year.
A senior Air India executive said on Monday that the impact was significant but difficult to quantify. The official said the airline was dealing not only with the closure of Pakistani airspace for Indian carriers but also with restrictions affecting airspace in parts of the Gulf region.
Air India, owned by the Tata Group, has been operating longer routes for flights to Europe and North America since early last year, after Pakistan’s airspace was closed to Indian carriers. The latest restrictions have added further pressure on those operations as airlines avoid affected air corridors.
“It is not just Pakistan’s airspace closure impact now; there is also the Iran impact,” the official said, referring to the conflict-related disruption. The official also mentioned airspace restrictions in countries including Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
The effect of the restrictions is operational as well as financial. When aircraft are required to fly further south to avoid closed or restricted airspace, flight times increase and aircraft consume more fuel. The senior executive said that the more airspace is closed, the further southbound flights have to travel and the higher the fuel bill becomes.
Some flights may also require a stopover, creating additional expenses such as landing charges. Longer flying times can further affect aircraft utilisation and crew schedules, although the official did not provide a separate estimate for those costs.
The restrictions are affecting a key part of Air India’s international network. European and North American services from India commonly use air corridors through Pakistan, Iran and the Gulf region, making changes in the operating environment across those areas relevant to flight planning and aircraft routing.
The latest disruption comes as the escalating conflict involving Iran continues to affect flight and airport operations in the Middle East. The source report did not specify which individual Air India routes had been diverted, how many flights were affected or whether passengers had faced cancellations as a direct result of the restrictions.
Air India has also not disclosed a precise financial figure for the additional fuel, landing and other operating costs. The senior official’s assessment that the impact is worse than last year therefore remains a broad operational evaluation rather than a quantified financial statement.
For Indian international aviation, the restrictions underline how geopolitical developments can quickly alter route economics and flight operations even when airports in India continue to function normally. Air India’s next disclosures on operating costs, route changes or schedule adjustments will indicate the measurable effect of the continuing airspace constraints.
