Iran War Deals Double Blow to Indian Airlines Amid Pakistan Airspace Ban – SUCH TV
The ongoing Middle East conflict has created major operational challenges for Indian airlines, which are already struggling with a Pakistan airspace ban imposed last year.
The war has forced airlines to reschedule and reroute international flights, increasing travel times and fuel costs for carriers operating between India, Europe and North America.
Pakistan Airspace Ban Compounds Crisis
Since April last year, Pakistan has barred Indian airlines from flying over its territory following bilateral tensions between the two countries.
As a result, major carriers such as Air India and IndiGo already face limited route options for international flights.
With several Middle Eastern airspaces now restricted due to the Iran war, Indian airlines are left with even fewer alternative corridors.
According to aviation data provider Cirium, about 64% of scheduled flights by Air India and IndiGo to the Middle East, Europe and North America were disrupted over the past ten days.
Experts say the situation has become a “double whammy” for the aviation sector.
Because of airspace restrictions involving Iran and neighboring countries, many flights are now forced to take longer routes via Africa, increasing journey times by up to two hours.
This significantly raises fuel consumption and operational expenses, particularly at a time when oil prices have surged due to the war.
Additional Complications for IndiGo
IndiGo faces extra hurdles because several of its long-range aircraft are leased from Norse Atlantic Airways.
Since those aircraft remain Norwegian-registered, they must follow safety advisories issued by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, which has warned airlines to avoid airspace over countries including Iran, Iraq, Israel, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
In one incident, an IndiGo flight from Delhi to Manchester had to return to Delhi after 13 hours in the air due to airspace clearance issues over Eritrea.
Air India Forced to Add Stopovers
Flights operated by Air India have also become significantly longer.
For example, a recent Delhi–New York flight had to stop in Rome, extending travel time to around 22 hours, compared to about 17 hours previously when flights could pass through Middle Eastern airspace.
Financial Impact on Airlines
Analysts at HSBC warn that the geopolitical crisis will place a “significant burden” on Indian airline profitability.
Air India, owned by Tata Group and Singapore Airlines, has already estimated that Pakistan’s airspace ban alone could cost the airline around $600 million annually.
With oil prices rising sharply due to the Middle East war, longer routes and higher fuel consumption are expected to further increase airline operating costs.
