As war in the Middle East forces flight rescheduling and re-routing, Indian airlines have limited options because they can't fly over Pakistan either. "It is a double whammy for Indian airlines which fly international routes," said Amit Mittal, an independent aviation expert. Pakistan has banned Indian carriers from its airspace since last April following military tensions between the two neighbours. Last week, HSBC said that current geopolitical tensions in the Middle East will lead to a "significant burden" on the cost and profitability of Indian airlines. In comparison, an American Airlines flight on Sunday took about 16 hours on the same route, via Pakistan.

Source: The Edge Markets March 10, 2026 13:45 UTC