Air India: The effect of the sour relationship between India and Pakistan is that both the countries have closed their airspace to each other. Due to this, airline companies are suffering huge losses. One of these is Air India. Firstly, the travel time on many long routes has increased by up to three hours, the cost of fuel has also increased by 29%.
The company is estimated to suffer an annual loss of $455 million due to the closure of airspace, which is more than the reported loss of $439 million in the year 2024-25. To compensate for the losses incurred by the company, Air India has now made a demand from the government.
What is the demand of Air India?
Air India wants the government to ensure the airline’s emergency access to Hotan, Kashgar and Urumqi in Xinjiang, China, which will make it easier to fly to America, Canada and Europe. This will reduce time and also reduce costs. According to the Reuters report, the company says that Air India’s long distance network is under severe operational and financial pressure. In such a situation, getting permission to fly from Hotan route would be a strategic option.
Why is this route dangerous?
The route that Air India is talking about in Xinjiang, China, is located amidst some of the highest mountains in the world, whose height is more than 20,000 feet. In such a situation, to avoid decompression, many international airlines avoid this route. This means a sudden drop in atmospheric pressure, which can cause breathing problems to passengers, sudden opening of cabin windows or doors or damage to the aircraft, etc.
Apart from this, it also comes under the jurisdiction of China’s People’s Liberation Army Western Theater Command. Air India wants the Indian government to convince China to use the sensitive military airspace in Xinjiang. However, experts believe that due to possible security risks, it is very unlikely that China will agree to this.
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