Military clashes between India and Pakistan are intensifying, causing international flights passing through the region to face large-scale detours and cancellations.
India and Pakistan are key air routes through which about 15% of global air traffic passes. Therefore, if the airspace remains closed due to clashes between the two countries, it is analyzed that there will be direct cascading effects on global air networks.
The airspace closure began when India struck nine targets in Pakistan-administered Kashmir with a military operation named "Operation Sindhur" on the 7th (local time). Pakistan soon claimed to have shot down five Indian fighter jets and fully controlled its airspace.
The Guardian reported, "As military confrontations between the two countries intensify, major air routes are virtually paralyzed," and "serious disruptions are occurring in the global air transportation system."
The airspace over India and Pakistan has been primarily used by airlines traveling between Europe and Asia. These airlines have immediately entered emergency operations.
Korean Air announced that it would change its Incheon-Dubai route from the existing Pakistan connection to a detour route via Myanmar, Bangladesh, and southern India.
Singapore Airlines and its low-cost airline subsidiary Scoot have completely suspended all flights passing through Pakistani airspace and have urgently deployed alternative routes.
Thai Airways has also decided to significantly divert most flights from Bangkok to Europe over the Arabian Sea instead of through Pakistani airspace. Some long-haul flights have added layovers for refueling. Taiwan's EVA Air plans to continue its European routes by refueling in Vienna, Austria.
European airlines have also joined in avoiding Pakistan's airspace. Major European airlines like Germany's Lufthansa, the Netherlands' KLM, and France's Air France have switched to alternative routes using the airspace over Central Asia, such as Iran and Turkmenistan, instead of the existing Pakistan connection.
According to the aviation information specialist site FlightRadar24, some flights connecting Asia and Europe have seen flight times increase by up to four hours compared to usual due to the closure of Pakistani airspace.
Among the air routes connecting Asia and Europe, the northern route passing through Russian airspace is currently mostly restricted due to the protracted Russia-Ukraine war. With the closure of the southern route, which is key to India and Pakistan's airspace, airlines have extremely limited options for choosing routes.
Reuters cited aviation experts saying, "With the double whammy of restrictions on Russian airspace followed by the control of India and Pakistan's airspace, airlines are facing a significant decline in operational efficiency."
In particular, major Indian airlines, which have played a significant role as international hub airports, have been hit hard. India has announced a ban on all aircraft registered in Pakistan from entering its airspace until the 23rd.
India's largest low-cost airline, IndiGo, canceled a total of 165 domestic and international flights on the first day of the airspace closure. India's national carrier Air India estimated that the detour around Pakistan's airspace would cost about $600 million (approximately 820 billion won) annually.
Previously, during the Balakot airstrike incident in February 2019, Pakistan closed its airspace for about five months. As a result, Indian airlines incurred losses of approximately $64 million (about 87 billion won).
The aviation consulting firm CAPA stated, "Using detour routes will drastically increase fuel consumption per flight, and as operation times extend, general expenses such as labor and maintenance costs could rise by tens of thousands of dollars per flight. As the crisis continues, an increase in fuel costs and a decrease in passengers on those routes will inevitably worsen airline performance."