On April 24, Pakistan closed its airspace to Indian aircraft, disrupting key flight paths to destinations north and west of India. This move has particularly impacted Air India’s long-haul flights to North America, which now require additional fuel stops due to the longer routing.

Air India has been rerouting flights through Vienna and Copenhagen as primary refueling hubs, with Vienna seeing the most traffic. For example, the Delhi-to-Chicago flight, which once used Pakistan’s airspace, now covers a longer distance of about 15,000 km instead of 12,500 km, resulting in a flight time increase of more than four hours.

The airspace ban also affects eastbound flights, with some returning from North America requiring fuel stops in Vienna or Copenhagen. Notably, Air India’s Delhi-to-San Francisco flight is only impacted on its return leg due to the advantageous winds on the eastbound route.

Regional flights like IndiGo’s Delhi-Tashkent route have also seen drastic changes. The flight now travels through Iran and Turkmenistan, adding over three hours to its journey time.

Currently, the airspace ban is scheduled to last until May 23, 2025. Given the current tensions, it’s uncertain whether the ban will be lifted sooner or extended, but for now, Indian airlines are preparing for longer routes and extra fuel stops.