In April 2025, escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, following a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, led to Pakistan closing its airspace to Indian aircraft. This closure has significantly impacted Indian airlines, forcing them to reroute flights and incur additional costs.​

The closure, effective from April 24, 2025, has disrupted approximately 600 west-bound international flights of Indian carriers such as Air India and IndiGo within the first five days. These rerouted flights have had to make additional fuel stops in European cities like Vienna and Copenhagen, adding up to six hours to total trip times .​

For instance, Air India’s Delhi to Chicago flight, which previously took around 14 hours and 47 minutes, now requires over 19 hours due to the detour and refueling stop . Similarly, flights from San Francisco to Delhi have seen their durations increase from approximately 15 hours and 25 minutes to over 20 hours.​

These extended flight times have led to increased operational costs for Indian airlines, including higher fuel consumption and additional crew expenses. The financial impact is estimated to be between $10 million to $15 million if the airspace closure persists for a month .​

The closure also affects regional flights. IndiGo’s flight between Tashkent and Delhi, which previously took about 2 hours and 18 minutes, now requires approximately 5 hours and 30 minutes due to the need to avoid Pakistani airspace .​

In response to these challenges, the Indian government is collaborating with airlines to assess the extent of the impact and explore solutions for affected passengers and carriers .​

The airspace closure is part of a broader diplomatic crisis between India and Pakistan, sparked by the Pahalgam attack, which resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians. India accuses Pakistan of supporting the attackers, a claim Pakistan denies. In retaliation, India has suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, while Pakistan has closed its airspace to Indian flights and severed trade ties .​

This situation underscores the vulnerability of international aviation to geopolitical conflicts and the cascading effects such disputes can have on global travel and commerce.

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