Air India lobbies to use airspace in China’s Xinjiang as financial woes from Pakistan ban mount

[Watandar]

If you attack an Indian flagged vessel, your entire surface fleet might be sunk.

Too much bollywood.

 

[Jaeger]

electronic warfare/ECM/ECCM And say hey to CM-305 which have same top speed/ range that of your out of this Universe Brahmouse, and do you know what is the meaning of saturation attack?

When your electronic warfare could not save your airbases from Brahmos attacks, what do you think will happen to your surface fleet, which have hardly any airdefence.

 

[Dalit]

Flying through Pakistan might be most economical but only for flight travelling from Delhi and nearby airports to Europe.

Flights from Rest of India.. South, East, West do not fly through Pakistani aircrspace. After all Pakistan is limited in its geography compared to India.

It's only when the airspace beyond Pakistan also gets closed, it becomes unbearable for Air India.

Compare that to PIA, which can never dream of operating any flights to far east and beyond because of Indian geography.

List of Pakistan International Airlines destinations - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Air space wise India has nothing much to offer to Pakistan. India on the other hand really requires Pakistani air space to reach many important destinations.

The air space ban will remain and you will keep coming to this thread to display desperation.

 

[Jaeger]

Air space wise India has nothing much to offer to Pakistan. India on the other hand really requires Pakistani air space to reach many important destinations.

The air space ban will remain and you will keep coming to this thread to display desperation.

Sure..what ever you say.

 

[Dalit]

When your electronic warfare could not save your airbases from Brahmos attacks, what do you think will happen to your surface fleet, which have hardly any airdefence.

You talk too much for a guy that lost Rafale fighters.

 

[Dalit]

Sure..what ever you say.

That is right. So don't argue.

 

[Jaeger]

You talk too much for a guy that lost Rafale fighters.

So you have already given up on your naval match ups and are now back to airforce?

 

[Jaeger]

That is right. So don't argue.

I do not because "Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience".

 

[Master Chief]

I do not because "Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience".

But you do, because you're practically arguing with yourself at this point and we're all just watching.

 

[AZ_HighCountry]

But you do, because you're practically arguing with yourself at this point and we're all just watching.

Having strange visions here. Beating himself?

 

[AZ_HighCountry]

So, I decided to do as some of the herd here does and leverage ChatGPT to verify some of my assumptions. Specific to the question regarding the impact to Air India operations due to the closure of Pakistani air space, this is the resultant output:

The closure of Pakistani airspace (since April 2025) has had a large and structurally material impact on Air India’s cost base and network efficiency, but it is not typically a demand problem—it's a fuel, time, and fleet-utilization problem.

Here’s what the evidence shows in practical terms:

1. Scale of financial impact: roughly $500–600 million per year​

Air India itself has internally estimated the cost of rerouting to avoid Pakistan at:

• ~$591–600 million annually in additional operating costs
• About ₹50 billion per year equivalent

This is broadly consistent across multiple aviation reports and industry estimates.

2. Why the impact is so large for Air India specifically​

Air India is the most exposed Indian carrier because it operates:

• The largest share of long-haul India → Europe / North America flights
• Most ultra-long routes from North India (Delhi hub)
• Widebody aircraft with high fuel burn sensitivity

When Pakistan’s airspace is closed, Air India must detour via:

• Arabian Sea → UAE/Oman → Saudi Arabia → Egypt / Turkey → Europe
  or
• Longer northern routing via Central Asia (less common operationally)

This adds:

• +1 to +3 hours per flight (sometimes more)
• Higher fuel burn (especially heavy widebodies like 777s / 787s)
• Extra crew duty constraints and occasional tech stops

3. Operational consequences (beyond just fuel cost)​

The closure doesn’t just increase cost per flight—it affects the entire system:

A. Aircraft utilization drops​

Longer flights mean:

• Fewer rotations per aircraft per day
• Reduced network efficiency
• More aircraft needed for same schedule

B. Crew scheduling complexity​

• Longer duty cycles
• More frequent crew swaps or relief planning
• Occasional regulatory exemptions required (and DGCA scrutiny has been reported in similar contexts)

C. Route viability pressure​

Some marginal routes become:

• Less profitable or unprofitable
• Dependent on fuel price conditions

This has contributed to adjustments like flight suspensions or rerouting decisions on long U.S. routes in some cases.

4. Revenue vs cost: important nuance​

• The ~$600M figure is mostly incremental operating cost, not lost revenue
• Air India generally tries not to pass the full cost to passengers, so margins absorb most of the hit
• That directly affects profitability targets (which are already under pressure during restructuring)

5. Strategic knock-on effects​

The closure has pushed Air India to consider or lobby for:

• Alternative air corridors (including Central Asia or even experimental routings over restricted regions)
• Fleet deployment changes (more efficient aircraft on long-haul)
• Greater reliance on partner carriers via codeshares on some routes

It also indirectly benefits:

• Gulf carriers (Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad) because they are not constrained in the same way and can price more competitively on Europe routes.

Bottom line​

The Pakistan airspace closure costs Air India roughly:

~$600 million per year and several hours per long-haul flight,
making it one of the single largest structural operating disadvantages in its international network.

It’s not existential for the airline—but it materially reduces profitability and forces a less efficient network design for all westbound long-haul operations from India.

So, from my perspective, as someone who has worked in network planning, between the heaping doses of copium along with liberal sprinklings of deludium (not to ignore manhood measuring), the denial of the impact to India is astounding. I don't know how you do it.

 

[hussain0216]

When your electronic warfare could not save your airbases from Brahmos attacks, what do you think will happen to your surface fleet, which have hardly any airdefence.

Come on man, India was humiliated

Your just making yourself look like a idiot

 

[Oscar]

Come on man, India was humiliated

Your just making yourself look like a idiot

Perhaps he is a masochist

 

[Aryan_B]

I do not because "Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience".

thats why I never argue with Indians

 

[Trailer23]

Airspace ban was only hurting Air India because beyond Pakistan, Iranian and middle East airspace was also shut due to the war.

That has changed now.

Beta, make all your arguments..., but please do not attempt to make a case of Commercial Aviation in front of me.

All your Airlines are struggling including indigo & Spice Jet.

But, let's see how that last statement of yours works out for you in the coming weeks/months.

The Iran conflict started, what at the end of Feb...

So, you guys were getting your Oil constantly prior to that. Right?

So why were ya'll struggling back then?

Challo beta, let's see how you manage the situation now.

I'm not interested (like the others) to hold off your Oil. Take all the Oil Tankers you need. Your Commercial Aviation is gonna take a hit either way & eventually we'll see you b!tches running around to every Forum complaining about us & not playing fair.

Don't matter. Hum phir bhee nahe kholayengay.

Didn't think that through..., did you.