Pakistan Closing Airspace: Govt Assessing Impact, Finding Solutions For Passengers, Says Aviation Minister

The Union Minister's reaction comes as Pakistan last week barred the Indian airliners from using its airspace amid escalating tensions between the two countries following the Pahalgam terror attack.

File photo of Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu.

Source : Reporter

The government is working with Indian airlines to get a better assessment of the impact following the closure of Pakistani airspace and working to find out the best possible solutions for passengers, Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu said.

The Union Minister said that the Civil Aviation Ministry is exploring options for alternative routes to arrive at potential solutions and ensuring that the closure of airspace does not adversely impact the Indian passengers, PTI reported.

The minister's reaction comes as Pakistan last week barred the Indian airliners from using its airspace amid escalating tensions between the two countries following the Pahalgam terror attack. 

#WATCH | 26/11 terror attack accused Tahawwur Rana being taken from Delhi's Patiala House Court.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) court extended his custody for 12 days pic.twitter.com/Ux8l2c1AKY

— ANI (@ANI) April 28, 2025

"The very next day (after Pakistan closed its airspace), we sat with the airlines. We got all the initial feedback, but I told them to work out more thoroughly what the assessment is going to be if this continues for six months or one year, what routes are going to be affected and how the difference is going to be in future between the Indian carriers and the foreign carriers," Naidu told The Indian Express.

The closure of the Pakistani airspace for Indian airlines is resulting in longer flying hours for their international flights, especially those flying out from north Indian cities, and pushing up the operational costs. 

The minister said he has asked airlines to work out the possibilities and assessment in case the airspace closure for a longer time. 

"We need to have a thorough understanding (of the situation) before taking any decision," he said. 

On whether there are any tentative plans to issue any guidance with respect to airfares for international flights in the wake of the airspace curbs, Naidu indicated that all aspects will be looked at. 

"Anything that is going to be impacted (due to airspace closure), will be looked into and if fares get impacted in a big way, then definitely, the ministry will look at it. We are assessing the situation... and working with airlines," the minister added.

Naidu said that in the current situation, the ministry is looking at the passenger aspects and ensuring that safety is the key priority.

Indian carriers are scheduled to operate more than 6,000 flights to various international destinations, data from aviation analytics firm Cirium showed. 

Over 800 weekly flights are operated by Indian airlines to and from north Indian cities to overseas destinations, including North America, the UK, Europe, and the Middle East, as per an analysis of the Cirium data. 

IndiGo last week said that around 50 international routes operated by it will require longer sectors and hence may be subject to some slight schedule adjustments.