Air India seeks government help over mounting Pakistan airspace losses
Air India has so far incurred losses of INR3 billion due to the ongoing closure of Pakistan’s airspace.
The flag carrier is now seeking help to stem the losses with a compensation request to the civil aviation ministry.
Hostilities erupted in February after the Pulwama suicide bombing in Jammu and Kashmir, leading to a retaliatory air strike by the Indian Air Force.
The airspace restriction is beginning to bite for the airline, with mounting losses on extra fuel burn and cabin crew expenses with more than two hours added to long haul flight times.
The airline says up to 21 flights a day are being impacted, including routes to the Middle East, Europe and the US.
Journey times for transatlantic routes are up to three hours longer.
"Air India has communicated to us about this. It is being taken up with all concerned," a ministry official said.
United Airlines suspended its Delhi-Newark service but this isn’t an option for Air India.
"Other airlines have an option to pull out services in such situations but as the national carrier we cannot do so," an airline official, said.
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