Airline Due to the ban, Indian aircraft are not able to fly from Pakistan’s airspace. Due to this, they have to take a longer route due to which airline companies, especially Air India, are incurring huge losses. According to a Reuters report, this airline, which has become a part of the Tata Group, is now seeking permission to fly over the Xinjiang region of China. According to a company document, Air India wants the Indian government to convince China so that it can use the sensitive military airspace in Xinjiang. This will reduce the time of flights.

Direct flights between India and China have recently started after a long gap of five years. Direct flights between the two countries were stopped after the border skirmish in June 2020. Air India is trying to rebuild its lost reputation and network of international flights. In June, a London-bound Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed in Gujarat. 260 people lost their lives in this accident. Because of this, the company had to reduce its flights for some time for security checks.

Increase in fuel cost

But this task has become more difficult for Air India due to Pakistan closing its airspace to Indian aircraft. Pakistan took this step after its diplomatic tensions with India increased in late April. Air India is the only airline in India which has a large international network. According to a company document, due to not being able to use Pakistan’s airspace, its fuel cost has increased by 29%. Also, travel time on some long-haul flights has increased by up to three hours.

This information is given in a document submitted to Indian authorities at the end of October. It is also stated in the document that the Government of India is considering this demand of Air India. Air India wants China to allow an alternative route at the diplomatic level. Additionally, emergency landing facilities were also provided at Hotan, Kashgar and Urumqi airports in Xinjiang. This will reduce travel time to America, Canada and Europe.

loss after loss

Tata Group and Singapore Airlines have stake in Air India. The company estimates that the closure of Pakistan’s airspace will impact its profits by $455 million annually. The company’s estimated loss in the financial year 2024-25 was $439 million. China’s Foreign Ministry has said that it has no information about this situation. Air India and the civil aviation authorities of India, China and Pakistan also did not respond to queries.