Following the terror attacks in Pahalgam, and rising border tensions between India and Pakistan, the latter closed its airspace to all Indian-owned and Indian-operated airlines with immediate effect. The move has also led to the rerouting of international flights, most of which head towards Europe, North America, Middle East, and Central Asia.
Air India, the national flag carrier of India, took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce alternatives routes for international flights. "Air India regrets the inconvenience caused to our passengers due to this unforeseen airspace closure that is outside our control. We would like to reiterate that at Air India, the safety of our customers and crew remains top priority," the airline said. Notably, the closure of Pakistani airspace is significantly disrupting Indian airlines, affecting approximately 800 weekly flights.