Pakistan extends airspace closure for Indian airlines for another month

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According to a notice issued by the Pakistan Airport Authority, between two nuclear weapons -equipped countries armed with two nuclear weapons in South Asia, Pakistan extended its airspace for all Indian -owned or Indian -driven airlines by June 24.

The ban applies to all aircraft “registered by India, operated, ownership, or lease,” the authority said in a statement.

Meanwhile, India also increased the closure of airspace for Pakistan or Pakistan -run airlines by June 23.

The move extended sanctions last month during the continuous tension between two nuclear weapons -equipped neighbors after the Phalgam attack in April, resulting in the death of 26 tourists in the Indian and Kashmir (IIOJK).

The next day, India unilaterally locked its airspace on Pakistani flights on April 23, which led to a mutual ban from Islamabad the next day. After that, India took several other steps against Pakistan.

Later, on May 6-7, India launched indiscriminate attacks on several Pakistani cities. In response, Pakistan’s Armed Forces launched a massive retaliation, called “Operation Bonyan Um-Marsus”, and on May 10 targeted several Indian military installations in several areas.

Pakistan’s reaction led to the mobilization of world powers, after which the ceasefire reached, which remains intact.

Although India’s aviation industry has suffered huge losses, its effects on Pakistani aviation have been minimal. With only one East Bound flight China route and limited operations in the Middle East, Pakistan’s aviation sector was not largely affected.

This is not the first time Pakistan imposed such sanctions. Earlier, airspace restrictions were imposed during the 1999 Kargil conflict and the 2019 Paloma crisis, both incidents in which India disrupted more aviation than Pakistan.

Financial blow to Indian Airlines

According to sources, Indian airlines suffered a loss of more than Rs 8 billion in the last month alone. These include the additional fuel costs of Rs 5 billion and the cost of Rs 3 billion due to long -distance flights.

Sources have noted that Indian carriers operating Boeing 777 and Airbus A320 Family Aircraft have had to endure 2 to 4 hours of additional flying time per journey. With about 150 150 flights daily, fuel consumption has increased dramatically.

Experts estimate that Boeing uses 6,668kg of fuel, while an airbus A319, A320, or A321 uses about 2, 2,400kg. The current average jet fuel costs $ 0.82 per kg, Indian airlines are spending about $ 557.625 daily on additional fuel only. This is more than Rs 5 billion in fuel -related losses in a month.

In addition, travel extension times have mobilized staff duty hours, which requires staff changes at transit airports. The stop over also includes additional costs for landing fees, refueling, and airport services. In the last 30 days, such stop over costs are between Rs 2.5 and Rs 3 billion.

Air India is allegedly the worst affected carrier and has requested the Indian government for financial assistance. Other airlines, including Akasa Air, Spice Jet, Indigo, and Air India Express, have also faced operational barriers.

Flights from Amritsar, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Jaipur are now forced to cross the Western routes over the Arabian Sea. This route affects flights to North America, Europe and the Middle East.

Sources have indicated that if the ban is underway and the Indian government does not provide special assistance, Indian airlines can be forced to take extraordinary steps to maintain work.