The recent escalation of tensions in Kashmir, which culminated in a mass shooting, has far-reaching consequences that now also affect international air traffic. In response, Pakistan has revoked overflight rights for Indian airlines over its territory with immediate effect and provisionally until May 23, 2025.
This measure forces affected airlines to take costly and time-consuming detours, resulting in longer flight times, increased fuel consumption, rising operating costs, and additional logistical challenges. Foreign airlines are not affected by this ban and thus enjoy a temporary competitive advantage through faster and potentially cheaper flight connections.
Air India particularly affected – stopovers in Europe necessary
The Indian airline Air India, which operates numerous long-haul routes to the United States and Canada, is particularly hard hit by the Pakistani airspace closure. Due to the extended flight routes, many of these routes must make unscheduled stopovers in European cities such as Copenhagen or Vienna for refueling and, if necessary, crew changes. Air India already uses the hubs in these two cities because they are members of the Star Alliance. The company has free capacity (slots) there to handle the additional flights, but must offer competitive landing fees. The closure affects some of the longest non-stop passenger flights in the world, which typically fly directly between India and North America.
Implementing the diversions is complex and creates a confusing situation for passengers. Not all flights on the same routes make stopovers. This appears to depend on factors such as the direction of flight and the current weight of the aircraft. For example, on the same route, some departures make a stopover in Europe, while others continue to fly direct. One example is the route from San Francisco to Delhi, where most return flights were diverted, yet flight AI184 on April 26 traveled a remarkable 18 hours and 13 minutes non-stop—over three hours longer than the regular flight time.
Vienna temporarily becomes the most important European fuel station hub for Air India
The need for unscheduled stopovers led to an unexpected shift in Air India's European refueling locations. While the Austrian capital Vienna is normally served four times a week from Delhi with a Boeing 787-8, its importance increased dramatically in the days following the airspace closure. On April 27, for example, Vienna-Schwechat Airport recorded eleven arrivals and eleven departures by Air India. Curiously, the regular Vienna service did not operate that day.
By comparison, on the same day, London Heathrow, normally Air India's busiest European airport with six arrivals and six departures, was surpassed by Vienna during this temporary, exceptional situation. Air India even operated more long-haul departures from Vienna that day than its domestic carrier, Austrian Airlines. This temporary shift in operational focus highlights the immediate impact of geopolitical tensions on global air traffic and the flexibility that airlines must demonstrate in such crisis situations. It remains to be seen how the situation will develop after the airspace closure ends on May 23 and what long-term adjustments the affected airlines will need to make.