Air India CEO Campbell Wilson on Tuesday said that Pakistan’s continued closure of its airspace to Indian carriers has inflicted an estimated ₹4,000 crore loss on the airline so far, exacerbating the national carrier’s operational and financial challenges in a turbulent year marked by the Ahmedabad air crash.
Air India CEO also spoke about the Ahmedabad crash at the event. (PTI file photo)
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Wilson said the Pakistan airspace restrictions had forced Air India to reroute flights to Europe and North America, leading to significant increases in fuel consumption, crew costs, and turnaround times.
"(Pak) airspace closure causing an impact of 4000Cr to Air India," Campbell said at an event.
India and Pakistan both banned the other's aircrafts from using its airspace following the Pahalgam terror attack, that killed 26.
The restrictions affect both commercial and military aircraft registered or operated by the two countries. Routes connecting India to Europe and the US - among Air India’s most lucrative international sectors - have been hardest hit, with flight durations increasing by 60–90 minutes on average.
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