Travel Disruptions Loom as Pakistan Closes Airspace to Indian Flights

On Thursday, Pakistan closed its airspace to Indian carriers in response to diplomatic pressure from New Delhi after a deadly attack in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. This meant that carriers would be forced to reroute their flights, and that Air India and IndiGo were likely going to delay operationally and from a travel time perspective.

This closure came following an attack by unknown gunmen who assaulted tourists in Pahalgam, killing 26 people, the deadliest attack on civilians in the region since 2000. The Indian government responded to the attack by temporarily suspending the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan (shown here), and downgrading diplomatic relations with Pakistan, which then imposed an airspace ban on India.

Air India stated that flights to North America, Europe, and the Middle East, will now operate “alternative extended routes”, saying that delays were “outside our control”, and apologizing. Low cost airline IndiGo warned that some international routes would be "impacted" and urged passengers to check for flight status or seek a refund. Both airlines stated that passenger safety remains their priority.

This measure rekindles memories of 2019 when airspace closures due to military confrontations between India and Pakistan created disruptions worldwide in travel. Aviation analysts caution the changes in flight routings can cause increased fuel costs, which translates into higher ticket prices.