India explores alternative air route through China in response to Pakistan's airspace closure

NEW DELHI: India is considering an alternative air route through China in response to Pakistan's action of closing its airspace to Indian aircraft. With Pakistan's airspace currently closed, flights operating from India to Europe and North America have to fly over the Arabian Sea and take a detour via Muscat. As an alternative, India is exploring a route over China's Xinjiang region, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said.

India had launched Operation Sindoor in response to the Pahalgam terror attack in April last year. Following this, Pakistan closed its airspace to Indian aircraft. As a result, Indian flights have had to take alternative routes, increasing travel time by 45 minutes to two hours. This has led to a significant increase in fuel consumption and operating costs for airlines.

"We are looking at alternative routes. Discussions are taking place on traffic through the Hotan route between the two countries. The Ministry of External Affairs is holding discussions with them. Let us see what happens. In any case, we are looking at alternative routes," Naidu said.

If the talks are successful, flights departing from Delhi and Mumbai could enter China through Leh, fly via Hotan and reach Kyrgyzstan before joining the existing routes to Europe, the UK and North America. At present, flights operating from the northern and north-western parts of the country are using the L639 route. Reports from various sources say this has increased flying time by up to two hours. If an air route through China is opened, travel time to destinations such as Baku, Georgia, Central Asia and northern Europe could be significantly reduced.

Air India, which operates a major share of long-haul services, had suffered losses of around Rs 4,000 crore due to Pakistan's airspace closure, according to former Air India CEO Campbell Wilson, who made the statement in 2025. However, the Civil Aviation Minister has not announced that any agreement has been reached with China or provided further details on the proposal.