MAY 7, 2025
Mass rerouting of flights around Pakistan.
Air traffic data from Flightradar24 on Wednesday painted a stark picture: Pakistan’s skies are virtually empty. A heavy stream of aircraft now snakes around the country — diverting through Iran, the Arabian Sea, and the UAE — as tensions spike following India’s precision strikes under Operation Sindoor.
The Indian Armed Forces earlier confirmed it had struck nine terror-linked locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, including Muzaffarabad, Kotli, and Bahawalpur, in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians. While India has stressed the strikes were “focused, measured and non-escalatory,” the regional fallout is rippling into the skies.
India has now closed its airspace to all Pakistani-registered and military aircraft until May 23, after Pakistan earlier blocked Indian flights. The result: massive rerouting for commercial flights that previously flew over either country.
India-Europe, North America, Middle East flights now face detours — especially those from New Delhi. Carriers like Air India and IndiGo are taking longer routes via the Arabian Sea and UAE, adding up to 4 hours to flight times.
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has also been forced to adjust routes for Southeast Asia-bound flights.
Major global airlines — Air France, Lufthansa, Emirates, British Airways — are avoiding Pakistan’s airspace entirely, raising fuel and operational costs.
While domestic Indian flights remain largely unaffected, flights near the Indo-Pak border, particularly in Rajasthan, may face delays.
What fliers need to know:
Expect Delays: Particularly on westbound international routes.
Check Status: Airlines are revising schedules in real-time.
Fare Surge Ahead: Longer routes and fuel stops may push ticket prices higher.
Cancellations Possible: Especially for flights once routed over Pakistan.
Courtesy/Source: Business Today / PTI
