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ISLAMABAD: Air India has asked the Indian government to press China for access to sensitive airspace in Xinjiang to help cut costs and reduce flight times, according to a company document. Indian media reported that the internal company document requests access to airspace near Hotan, Kashgar, and Urumqi in western China, which is controlled by the Chinese military. The ban was put in place after an attack in Indian-occupied Kashmir on April 22, which India blamed on Pakistan. In response, India launched missile strikes into Pakistan in early May, leading to a brief conflict between the two nuclear-armed states. It lasted four days, only ending with a ceasefire on May 10. As a result of the airspace restrictions, some Air India routes are becoming financially unsustainable. The document detailed that the airline had to suspend one of its flights to the United States. It also warned that other direct flights to US destinations are &ldquo;becoming unviable&rdquo; due to the added travel time. Many passengers have even shifted to foreign carriers that still have access to Pakistani airspace. China&rsquo;s foreign ministry has said it is unaware of the situation, according to the document. Air India is also facing significant financial pressures from international regulatory authorities after a fatal crash killed more than 200 people this year. It also faces legal and financial burdens. The airline estimates that the $455 million impact from the airspace closure is substantial, especially given that its fiscal year 2024-25 pre-tax loss was $439 million, disclosed in a written response to the Indian Parliament by the Minister of State for Civil Aviation. The national Indian carrier has requested temporary subsidies to help offset the financial impact until the Pakistani airspace is reopened, as per the document. In 2019, a similar closure of Pakistani airspace for five months cost Air India and other Indian carriers at least $64 million, according to the Indian government.

India

As a result of the airspace restrictions, some Air India routes are becoming financially unsustainable. 

Air India seeks sensitive Chinese airspace as Pakistan ban costs mount

NEW DELHI: The father of one of the pilots of June&#39;s deadly Air India crash has asked India&#39;s top court for an independent investigation, saying the official probe unfairly blamed the crew. A total of 241 people on board the London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner were killed when the plane crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad in western India on June 12. Another 19 people were killed on the ground. A preliminary investigation report by India&#39;s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) said fuel to the jet&#39;s engines was cut off moments before impact. Pushkaraj Sabharwal, 91, the father of deceased pilot Sumeet Sabharwal, claimed in his petition that the preliminary AAIB investigation was &quot;profoundly flawed&quot;. The AAIB report in July did not offer any conclusions or apportion blame for the disaster, but indicated that one pilot asked the other why he had cut off fuel and that the second pilot responded that he had not. The investigation appears to &quot;predominantly focus on the deceased pilots, who are no longer able to defend themselves, while failing to examine or eliminate other more plausible technical and procedural causes of the crash&quot;, the petition read. Sabharwal&#39;s petition was filed on October 9 and seen by AFP on Thursday. It was unclear when the court would respond. Two major Indian commercial pilots&#39; associations have already rejected claims that human error had caused the crash. The Airline Pilots&#39; Association of India has accused the AAIB of &quot;secrecy&quot; surrounding the investigation. Indian authorities have rejected suggestions of any manipulation in the investigation, which is yet to submit its final report.

The father of a pilot killed in June’s Air India crash has petitioned India’s Supreme Court for an independent probe, alleging the official investigation unfairly blamed the crew and ignored possible technical failures

Articles tagged with "Air India Crash"

Air India seeks sensitive Chinese airspace as Pakistan ban costs mount

Father of Air India crash pilot seeks independent probe