According to the Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) issued, this ban will remain in effect till 5:30 am (Indian time) on May 24. During this period, aircraft registered in Pakistan, aircraft operated or owned by Pakistani airlines, and military flights will not be able to use Indian airspace.
This step is part of the ongoing retaliatory action between the two countries. For more than a year, India and Pakistan have been increasing this ban every month.
Due to this restriction, planes have to travel longer distances, increasing fuel consumption and costs. Fuel accounts for about 40 percent of the total operating expenses of airlines, so this is having a direct impact on their profitability.
At the same time, Pakistan has also kept its airspace closed for Indian aircraft till May 24. Due to this mutual ban, flights from both countries are not allowed to pass through each other’s airspace.
Due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and closure of Pakistan’s airspace, Indian airlines have to take longer routes through the Arabian Sea, Central Asia and parts of Africa. Due to this, flight time is increasing, fuel consumption is increasing and there is also additional pressure on crew duties.
For airlines like Air India, the time taken to fly long distance flights while avoiding the airspace of Iran and Iraq has increased significantly, due to which some flights have had to be cancelled.
In view of the situation, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has given temporary relaxation in the rules related to duty time for Air India pilots in long-haul flights to Europe, America and Canada.
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