IndiGo has announced the suspension of its Delhi-Tashkent and Delhi-Almaty flights until at least May 7, 2025, following the closure of Pakistan’s airspace to Indian carriers. The airline cited extended flight times and operational limitations as key reasons behind the temporary halt.
Increase in flight time on 50 Intl routes
In an official statement, IndiGo said approximately 50 of its international routes now require longer flight paths due to the restricted airspace. “With the same restrictions and limited rerouting options, unfortunately Almaty and Tashkent are outside the operational range of IndiGo’s current fleet. Hence, flights to Almaty stand cancelled from April 27 until at least May 7 and to Tashkent from April 28 until May 7, 2025,” the airline stated.
The closure has forced carriers to take circuitous routes, increasing flight durations by 80 to 90 minutes for certain sectors. IndiGo’s fleet, which primarily consists of Airbus A320 family aircraft, cannot operate on some of these extended sectors due to range limitations.
Meanwhile, Air India’s ultra-long-haul operations have also been affected. Several of its non-stop flights to North America, including services to Washington, New York, Chicago, and Toronto, were forced to make technical halts in Europe such as in Vienna and Copenhagen on Friday. These unscheduled stops were necessary for refueling and crew changes due to the longer route requirements.
Air India had earlier stated that some of its international flights would adopt “alternative extended routes” due to the Pakistani airspace closure. However, the airline has not yet clarified whether these technical halts will become a regular feature.
This disruption draws parallels with the situation in 2019 when Pakistan closed its airspace for several months following the Balakot airstrikes. At the time, Indian airlines were forced to make similar adjustments, including frequent technical halts for long-haul routes.
With no official timeline for the reopening of Pakistan’s airspace, further schedule changes and operational challenges are likely for Indian carriers operating westbound international flights.