Latest news with #AjayAwtaney
Gulf Insider
26-04-2025
- Business
- Gulf Insider
Pakistan Airspace Ban: Indian Airlines To Suffer Higher Costs
Top Indian airlines Air India and IndiGo are bracing for higher fuel costs and longer journey times as they reroute international flights after Pakistan shut its airspace to them amid escalating tensions in Kashmir. International airlines are not affected by the ban. The impact of the airspace closure was visible starting late on Thursday, as Air India and IndiGo began to reroute flights to New York, Azerbaijan and Dubai – all of which typically use Pakistan airpsace, according to data from tracking website Flightradar24. The worst impacted airport will be New Delhi, one of the world's busiest, from where flights cross Pakistani airspace to fly to destinations in the West and the Middle East. Data from Cirium Ascend showed IndiGo, Air India and its budget unit Air India Express have roughly 1,200 flights combined from New Delhi scheduled for Europe, the Middle East and North America in April. Air India's flights to the Middle East from New Delhi will now be forced to fly roughly an hour extra, which means higher fuel costs and less cargo to accommodate the extra fuel, said an Indian aviation industry executive, who declined to be identified. IndiGo said on Friday 'a few' of its flights will be impacted, while Air India said on X that some 'flights to or from North America, UK, Europe, and Middle East will take an alternative extended route.' 'Air India is currently the most affected with the largest long- and ultra-long haul network out of Delhi,' said Ajay Awtaney, founder of aviation-focused website LiveFromALounge. The airspace closure is the latest headache for the Indian airline industry, with expansion plans already complicated by jet delivery delays from Boeing and Airbus. Aircraft fuel and oil costs usually make up for about 30 per cent of an airline's operating costs, by far the biggest component. One Indian airline pilot told Reuters the move will disrupt schedules, but also force airlines to redo their calculations of flying hours in relation to regulations, and adjust their crew and pilot rosters accordingly. Another executive at an Indian airline said the carrier was scrambling to assess the impact with some employees working late into the night on Thursday. Both spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to brief media. IndiGo flight 6E1803 from New Delhi to Baku on Thursday took 5 hours and 43 minutes via a longer route that involved going southwest to India's Gujarat state and then over the Arabian Sea, before swinging back north over Iran to Azerbaijan, FlightAware data showed. The same flight, through Pakistan airspace, took 5 hours 5 minutes on Wednesday. Pakistan has said the ban will be in place until May 23.
India Today
25-04-2025
- Business
- India Today
Indian airlines may face turbulence as Pakistan closes its skies
India's top airlines, Air India and IndiGo, are now facing higher fuel costs and longer flight times after Pakistan shut its airspace to Indian carriers, reported Reuters. This move comes amid rising tensions between the two neighbours following a deadly militant attack in Indian Kashmir earlier this Indian government has pointed fingers at Pakistan for the assault, in which 26 people were killed, while Pakistan has denied any involvement. In response to the political fallout, both countries have taken steps against each other. While India has paused the Indus Waters Treaty (a key river water-sharing treaty), Pakistan has blocked Indian airlines from flying over its the ban doesn't affect international carriers, Indian airlines are already feeling the pinch. Flights to places like New York, Dubai and Azerbaijan, which usually take the shorter route over Pakistan, are now being rerouted. This means longer travel times and higher fuel bills. New Delhi airport is likely to be hit the hardest since it handles most of the long-distance flights heading to Europe, the Middle East and North America, mentioned the aviation industry insider said Air India's flights to the Middle East will now take around an hour longer than usual. This will not only add to fuel costs but also limit the cargo they can carry, as more fuel means less India shared that some of its flights to the UK, North America, Europe and the Middle East will now take longer routes. The airline wrote on X, 'Due to the announced restriction of Pakistan airspace for all Indian airlines, it is expected that some Air India flights to or from North America, UK, Europe, and Middle East will take an alternative extended route.' advertisement IndiGo also confirmed that 'a few' of its flights will also be affected. Ajay Awtaney, who runs an aviation-focused website, said Air India will bear the brunt of the ban due to its wide network of long-haul international new hurdle comes at a tough time for India's aviation sector, already battling aircraft delivery delays from Boeing and now need to rethink flight schedules, recalculate flying hours, and rejig crew rosters to stay within aviation rules, said an Indian airline pilot, mentioned example, IndiGo's Thursday flight from Delhi to Baku took 5 hours and 43 minutes on the new route via Gujarat and Iran, compared to 5 hours and 5 minutes on Wednesday when it used the usual route over Pakistan, as per FlightAware has said the airspace closure will stay in effect until May 23. Back in 2019, a similar closure caused a loss of at least $64 million to Indian airlines, according to the Indian InTrending Reel
Observer
25-04-2025
- Business
- Observer
Indian airlines to suffer higher costs, Pakistan closes airspace
Top Indian airlines Air India and IndiGo are bracing for higher fuel costs and longer journey times as they reroute international flights after Pakistan shut its airspace to them amid escalating tensions over a deadly attack in Kashmir. Pakistan has denied any involvement. The rivals have unleashed a raft of measures against each other in response, with India keeping a critical river water-sharing treaty in abeyance and Pakistan closing its airspace to Indian airlines. International airlines are not affected by the ban. The impact of the airspace closure was visible starting late on Thursday, as Air India and IndiGo began to reroute flights to New York, Azerbaijan and Dubai - all of which typically use Pakistan airpsace, according to data from tracking website Flightradar24. The worst impacted airport will be New Delhi, one of the world's busiest, from where flights cross Pakistani airspace to fly to destinations in the West and the Middle East. Data from Cirium Ascend showed IndiGo, Air India and its budget unit Air India Express have roughly 1,200 flights combined from New Delhi scheduled for Europe, the Middle East and North America in April. Air India's flights to the Middle East from New Delhi will now be forced to fly roughly an hour extra, which means higher fuel costs and less cargo to accommodate the extra fuel, said an Indian aviation industry executive, who declined to be identified. IndiGo said on Friday "a few" of its flights will be impacted, while Air India said on X that some "flights to or from North America, UK, Europe, and Middle East will take an alternative extended route." "Air India is currently the most affected with the largest long- and ultra-long haul network out of Delhi," said Ajay Awtaney, founder of aviation-focused website LiveFromALounge. The airspace closure is the latest headache for the Indian airline industry, with expansion plans already complicated by jet delivery delays from Boeing and Airbus. Aircraft fuel and oil costs usually make up for about 30% of an airline's operating costs, by far the biggest component. One Indian airline pilot told Reuters the move will disrupt schedules, but also force airlines to redo their calculations of flying hours in relation to regulations, and adjust their crew and pilot rosters accordingly. Another executive at an Indian airline said the carrier was scrambling to assess the impact with some employees working late into the night on Thursday. Both spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to brief media. IndiGo flight 6E1803 from New Delhi to Baku on Thursday took 5 hours and 43 minutes via a longer route that involved going southwest to India's Gujarat state and then over the Arabian Sea, before swinging back north over Iran to Azerbaijan, FlightAware data showed. The same flight, through Pakistan airspace, took 5 hours 5 minutes on Wednesday. Pakistan has said the ban will be in place until May 23. In 2019, India's government said that the closure of Pakistan airspace for about five months during tensions between the neighbours at that time caused a loss of at least $64 million to Air India, IndiGo and other airlines.
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Business Standard
25-04-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Pahalgam attack: Pak airspace ban hits Indian airlines with higher costs
Top Indian airlines Air India and IndiGo are bracing for higher fuel costs and longer journey times as they reroute international flights after Pakistan shut its airspace to them amid escalating tensions over a deadly terror attack in Kashmir. India has said there were Pakistani elements in Tuesday's attack in which gunmen shot and killed 26 men in a meadow in the Pahalgam area of Indian Kashmir. Pakistan has denied any involvement. The nuclear-armed arch rivals have unleashed a raft of measures against each other in response, with India keeping a critical river water-sharing treaty in abeyance and Pakistan closing its airspace to Indian airlines. International airlines are not affected by the ban. The impact of the airspace closure was visible starting late on Thursday, as Air India and IndiGo began to reroute flights to New York, Azerbaijan and Dubai - all of which typically use Pakistan airpsace, according to data from tracking website Flightradar24. The worst impacted airport will be New Delhi, one of the world's busiest, from where flights cross Pakistani airspace to fly to destinations in the West and the Middle East. Data from Cirium Ascend showed IndiGo, Air India and its budget unit Air India Express have roughly 1,200 flights combined from New Delhi scheduled for Europe, the Middle East and North America in April. Air India's flights to the Middle East from New Delhi will now be forced to fly roughly an hour extra, which means higher fuel costs and less cargo to accommodate the extra fuel, said an Indian aviation industry executive, who declined to be identified. IndiGo said on Friday "a few" of its flights will be impacted, while Air India said on X that some "flights to or from North America, UK, Europe, and Middle East will take an alternative extended route." "Air India is currently the most affected with the largest long- and ultra-long haul network out of Delhi," said Ajay Awtaney, founder of aviation-focused website LiveFromALounge. The airspace closure is the latest headache for the Indian airline industry, with expansion plans already complicated by jet delivery delays from Boeing and Airbus. Aircraft fuel and oil costs usually make up for about 30% of an airline's operating costs, by far the biggest component. One Indian airline pilot told Reuters the move will disrupt schedules, but also force airlines to redo their calculations of flying hours in relation to regulations, and adjust their crew and pilot rosters accordingly. Another executive at an Indian airline said the carrier was scrambling to assess the impact with some employees working late into the night on Thursday. Both spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to brief media. IndiGo flight 6E1803 from New Delhi to Baku on Thursday took 5 hours and 43 minutes via a longer route that involved going southwest to India's Gujarat state and then over the Arabian Sea, before swinging back north over Iran to Azerbaijan, FlightAware data showed. The same flight, through Pakistan airspace, took 5 hours 5 minutes on Wednesday. Pakistan has said the ban will be in place until May 23. In 2019, India's government said that the closure of Pakistan airspace for about five months during tensions between the neighbours at that time caused a loss of at least $64 million to Air India, IndiGo and other airlines.
Gulf Today
25-04-2025
- Business
- Gulf Today
Pakistan airspace closure to cost Indian airlines dearly
Top Indian airlines Air India and IndiGo are bracing for higher fuel costs and longer journey times as they reroute international flights after Pakistan shut its airspace to them amid escalating tensions over a deadly attack in Kashmir. India has said there were Pakistani elements in Tuesday's attack in which gunmen shot and killed 26 men in a meadow in the Pahalgam area of Indian Kashmir. Pakistan has denied any involvement. The nuclear-armed neighbours have unleashed a raft of measures against each other in response, with India keeping a critical river water-sharing treaty in abeyance and Pakistan closing its airspace to Indian airlines. International airlines are not affected by the ban. The impact of the airspace closure was visible starting late on Thursday, as Air India and IndiGo began to reroute flights to New York, Azerbaijan and Dubai – all of which typically use Pakistan airpsace, according to data from tracking website Flightradar24. AN IndiGo airline is seen on the tarmac at an airport. File The worst impacted airport will be New Delhi, one of the world's busiest, from where flights cross Pakistani airspace to fly to destinations in the West and the Middle East. Data from Cirium Ascend showed IndiGo, Air India and its budget unit Air India Express have roughly 1,200 flights combined from New Delhi scheduled for Europe, the Middle East and North America in April. Air India's flights to the Middle East from New Delhi will now be forced to fly roughly an hour extra, which means higher fuel costs and less cargo to accommodate the extra fuel, said an Indian aviation industry executive, who declined to be identified. IndiGo said on Friday "a few" of its flights will be impacted, while Air India said on X that some "flights to or from North America, UK, Europe, and Middle East will take an alternative extended route." "Air India is currently the most affected with the largest long- and ultra-long haul network out of Delhi," said Ajay Awtaney, founder of aviation-focused website LiveFromALounge. An Air India plane takes off in Colomiers near Toulouse, France. File / Reuters The airspace closure is the latest headache for the Indian airline industry, with expansion plans already complicated by jet delivery delays from Boeing and Airbus. Aircraft fuel and oil costs usually make up for about 30% of an airline's operating costs, by far the biggest component. One Indian airline pilot told Reuters the move will disrupt schedules, but also force airlines to redo their calculations of flying hours in relation to regulations, and adjust their crew and pilot rosters accordingly. Another executive at an Indian airline said the carrier was scrambling to assess the impact with some employees working late into the night on Thursday. Both spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to brief media. IndiGo flight 6E1803 from New Delhi to Baku on Thursday took 5 hours and 43 minutes via a longer route that involved going southwest to India's Gujarat state and then over the Arabian Sea, before swinging back north over Iran to Azerbaijan, FlightAware data showed. The same flight, through Pakistan airspace, took 5 hours 5 minutes on Wednesday. Pakistan has said the ban will be in place until May 23. In 2019, India's government said that the closure of Pakistan airspace for about five months during tensions between the neighbours at that time caused a loss of at least $64 million to Air India, IndiGo and other airlines. Reuters
