Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Apr 25: In response to the ongoing closure of Pakistan's airspace, low-cost carrier IndiGo announced on Friday that it will implement slight adjustments to the schedules of its international flights. The airline stated that due to the airspace restrictions, its international routes will now require longer flight sectors, leading to potential delays and rescheduling.
"With the same restrictions and limited rerouting options, unfortunately, Almaty and Tashkent are outside the operational range of IndiGo’s current fleet. Hence, flights to Almaty stand cancelled from April 27 until at least May 7 and to Tashkent from April 28 until May 7," the airline said in a statement.
IndiGo has advised passengers to check the latest flight status on its website, www.goindigo.com. Customers who need to manage cancellations or reschedules can do so through the site, and further assistance can be sought by emailing customer.experience@goindigo.in.
This move comes in the wake of Pakistan’s decision to close its airspace for Indian airlines, a direct result of heightened diplomatic tensions following the deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which was allegedly sponsored by Islamabad.
As a consequence of the airspace restrictions, airlines including IndiGo and Air India have been forced to reroute their flights. Airlines operating out of northern Indian airports like Delhi, Lucknow, and Amritsar will now be taking detours via Gujarat or Maharashtra before heading towards destinations in Europe, North America, and West Asia. This will increase the duration of some flights, particularly to the US and Europe, by 2 to 2.5 hours.
Industry experts have warned that the extended routes could lead to higher fuel consumption, which in turn may increase airfares. The financial implications of these changes are yet to be fully evaluated, though a similar airspace closure in 2019, following the Balakot airstrikes, saw Indian airlines incur losses of approximately Rs 700 crore due to the added fuel costs.
Pakistan's airspace closure will continue to impact flights to regions such as Central Asia, the UK, Europe, and North America, further complicating travel plans for Indian passengers.