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On Monday, Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu revealed that the government is working closely with Indian airlines to assess the repercussions of the closure of Pakistani airspace. The aim is to develop effective solutions that will benefit both travelers and airlines. Naidu highlighted that the discussions will also explore alternative routing options to lessen the impact on the average Indian passenger.
He stressed the necessity of comprehending the long-term effects of this airspace closure, which includes potential disruptions in flight routes and the competitive dynamics between Indian and international carriers. In response to the recent tensions following the Pahalgam incident, India is considering retaliatory measures, such as limiting access to its airspace for Pakistani airlines and prohibiting their vessels from docking at Indian ports. This situation arises after Pakistan decides to close its airspace to Indian flights, which has notably increased travel times, especially to North America, where flights departing from Delhi now require extra fuel stops due to the restricted access to Pakistani airspace.
Detoured Flight Path: San Francisco to Delhi Gains an Extra 240 Minutes!
After India divulged a slew of discretionary measures following last week’s fear-monger assault in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, in which 26 individuals were murdered, Pakistan reacted by – among other steps – closing its airspace to Indian aircraft. The degree has influenced flights to and from North America the most, expanding the time taken to fly to Delhi from San Francisco, for example, by about four-and-a-half hours.
According to a web journal by flight following site Flightradar24, flying from Delhi to cities in North America requires a fuel halt without getting to Pakistan’s airspace. Discuss India, it said, has set up refueling stops in the Austrian capital of Vienna and Denmark’s capital, Copenhagen, with the latter getting most of the activity.
In a recent update on X dated April 24, Air India announced that certain flights to and from North America, the UK, Europe, and the Middle East may need to take longer routes. The airline stated, ‘Due to the recent closure of Pakistan’s airspace for all Indian carriers, we anticipate that some of our flights will be rerouted. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause our passengers, as this situation is beyond our control. At Air India, the safety of our customers and crew is our utmost priority.
To find out if your flight is affected, please contact our Call Centre at 011 69329333 or 011 69329999, or visit our website at http://airindia.com.’
Additionally, IndiGo issued a travel advisory, stating, ‘We are actively monitoring the developments following Pakistan’s unexpected airspace closure. Some of our international flights are still affected.
In response to the attack, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced that Pakistani citizens will be barred from entering India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme. He also stated that the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 will be suspended immediately until Pakistan renounces its support for cross-border terrorism.
Additionally, the Integrated Check Post at Attari will be shut down right away, allowing those with valid endorsements to return before May 1. Furthermore, military and naval advisors from the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi have been declared ‘persona non grata’ and must leave the country. India has also revoked most visas issued to Pakistanis, including those for medical purposes.
In response to the attack, Pakistan took action just two days later by shutting down its airspace to Indian airlines. The government declared that it would ‘exercise the right’ to suspend all bilateral agreements, including the significant Simla agreement. Additionally, Pakistan halted all visas under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme, except for those for Sikh religious pilgrims.
(Newsroom staff only edited this story for style from a syndicated feed)
