Across the globe, the world’s airlines are forced to take the longer route in light of political tensions, diplomatic feuds, and sudden escalations in decade-long conflicts.
Pakistan closed its airspace in February after a suicide bomber from militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed attacked a convoy in Indian-controlled Kashmir. Following the attack, both Pakistan and India carried out aerial bombings on each other’s territory, and their military jets engaged in a sudden battle in the skies above — a dramatic escalation in a long-standing conflict.
While some areas of Pakistan’s airspace has reopened — many of the airspace restrictions implemented over one month ago remain in place. The continuing restrictions have left international airlines, such as British Airways, avoiding overflying Pakistan, and entire countries, such as Afghanistan, unable to fly on routes to India without extreme detours.
Afghanistan’s civil aviation authority stated the country is suffering heavy losses following the new restrictions, which force commercial flights between Afghanistan and India (one of its largest trading partners) to fly back west, over Iran, continuing south of Pakistan, and into India.
It’s resulted in an additional three hours of flying time between Kabul and Delhi — a journey that would ordinarily take around two hours.
Consequently, airfares between Afghanistan and India have doubled in price over the recent weeks, predominantly due to the increase in fuel costs for airlines, having to adhere to the airspace restrictions.
Afghanistan-based airline Kam Air and Ariana Afghan Airlines are still offering direct flights to India, but are incurring losses by doing so. Ariana Afghan Airlines has lost $550,000 in the past month because of Pakistan’s restrictions, while Kam Air has lost $1mn in the same period “as costs rose and ticket sales fell” according to the airline.
The latest of airspace restrictions as a result of the Pakistan-India tensions have once again proven the industry’s reliance on Iran, for overflight. Major airlines, including Singapore Airlines, that would ordinarily fly on a more northerly route over Pakistan are now flying south of the country instead, before entering Iranian airspace and overflying much of the Islamic Republic country.
03/04/19 Alex Macheras/Gulf Times
To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline
Pakistan closed its airspace in February after a suicide bomber from militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed attacked a convoy in Indian-controlled Kashmir. Following the attack, both Pakistan and India carried out aerial bombings on each other’s territory, and their military jets engaged in a sudden battle in the skies above — a dramatic escalation in a long-standing conflict.
While some areas of Pakistan’s airspace has reopened — many of the airspace restrictions implemented over one month ago remain in place. The continuing restrictions have left international airlines, such as British Airways, avoiding overflying Pakistan, and entire countries, such as Afghanistan, unable to fly on routes to India without extreme detours.
Afghanistan’s civil aviation authority stated the country is suffering heavy losses following the new restrictions, which force commercial flights between Afghanistan and India (one of its largest trading partners) to fly back west, over Iran, continuing south of Pakistan, and into India.
It’s resulted in an additional three hours of flying time between Kabul and Delhi — a journey that would ordinarily take around two hours.
Consequently, airfares between Afghanistan and India have doubled in price over the recent weeks, predominantly due to the increase in fuel costs for airlines, having to adhere to the airspace restrictions.
Afghanistan-based airline Kam Air and Ariana Afghan Airlines are still offering direct flights to India, but are incurring losses by doing so. Ariana Afghan Airlines has lost $550,000 in the past month because of Pakistan’s restrictions, while Kam Air has lost $1mn in the same period “as costs rose and ticket sales fell” according to the airline.
The latest of airspace restrictions as a result of the Pakistan-India tensions have once again proven the industry’s reliance on Iran, for overflight. Major airlines, including Singapore Airlines, that would ordinarily fly on a more northerly route over Pakistan are now flying south of the country instead, before entering Iranian airspace and overflying much of the Islamic Republic country.
03/04/19 Alex Macheras/Gulf Times
0 comments:
Post a Comment