Rerouting of Air India flights has resulted in an operating cost of approx 13 lakh per day as the flying time has increased by approximately 15 minutes.
Islamabad (Pakistan Point News – 12th July, 2019) Indian Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Puri has revealed that Air India has suffered a major blow due to the closure of Pakistani airspace.
According to the minister, the airspace closure has cost Air India approximately 430 crores Indian rupees.
In a written response, Hardeep Puri elaborated, Rerouting of Air India flights has resulted in an operating cost of approx 13 lakh per day as the flying time has increased by approximately 15 minutes.
The minister, however, assured Parliament that the burden of this increased operating cost has not been passed on to the passenger and there has been no fare increase, as a result.
The negotiations between New Delhi and Islamabad on opening Pakistani airspace for commercial flights to and from India are proceeding slowly and are unlikely to result in an agreement by fall.
Pakistan closed its airspace to Indian flights in February over aggravated bilateral relations. This ban has been renewed approximately every two weeks, with the most recent renewal set to expire on July 12.
The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority announced the airspace restrictions after the two neighboring countries exchanged several air raids in February. It was initially triggered by a deadly attack on an Indian security convoy in Kashmir on February 14 that resulted in over 40 deaths. The attack was later claimed by Pakistan-based terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed. Tensions escalated as India accused Pakistan of being behind the attack and supporting the terrorists, whose leader is based in Pakistan. Islamabad has rejected all allegations.
In retaliation, the Indian Air Force carried out airstrikes against what it claimed to be a Jaish-e-Mohammed camp in the Pakistani part of the disputed Kashmir region. The Pakistani military then shot down two Indian military jets that had crossed the line of control separating the Indian and Pakistani parts of Kashmir.
