Pakistan's Airspace Ban Backfires: How Shutting Doors On India Could Cost Millions

Pakistan has closed its airspace to Indian flights following the Pahalgam terror attack. But instead of inflicting damage across the border, it seems Islamabad may end up suffering a massive financial setback itself.

Overflight Fees: A Major Source of Revenue at Risk

Each time an aircraft crosses a country's skies, it pays an overflight fee — and for Pakistan, flights from India, especially those headed westward to Europe and North America, were a significant income stream. With Indian airlines like Air India and IndiGo now rerouting to avoid Pakistani airspace, that revenue is evaporating fast.

A Pakistani social media user shared a video showing an Indian flight taking a longer route, captioning it, "Aur lo Panga." Responding sharply, X user Naren Menon wrote, "Pakistan loses 'overflight fees' from the 3rd largest (and fastest growing) aviation market in the world. That's easily hundreds of millions of USD every year. Never in the history of mankind has there been so much collective stupidity in a land."

Pakistan loses “overflight fees” from the 3rd largest (and fastest growing) aviation market in the world. That’s easily hundreds of millions of USD every year

Never in the history of mankind has there been so much collective stupidity in a land https://t.co/KMhdHA06xJ

— Naren Menon (@NarenMenon1) April 26, 2025

While some argued Pakistan could still earn fees from foreign airlines, Menon pointed out that Indian carriers dominate these westbound routes, meaning the financial hit would be substantial.

History Repeats: Lessons from 2019

This isn’t the first time Pakistan has gambled with its airspace — and lost. In 2019, after the Pulwama terror attack, Pakistan’s airspace closure had led to losses nearing $100 million. Daily, the country’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) suffered combined losses of around $760,000.

A Boeing 737 flying over Pakistan would pay roughly $580 in overflight fees; larger aircrafts paid even more. By blocking its airspace, Pakistan had not just lost overflight revenue but also incurred massive losses from disrupted routes and delayed operations.

Now, with the latest closure, Pakistan could be staring at a similar financial nightmare.

Indian Airlines Brace for Longer Flights, Higher Costs

While Pakistan grapples with a revenue crunch, Indian airlines are preparing for operational challenges. Air India and IndiGo have confirmed that international flights from cities such as Delhi, Amritsar, Jaipur, Lucknow, and Varanasi are now taking longer routes over the Arabian Sea to avoid Pakistani skies.

A senior pilot told PTI that flights bound for the United States and Europe could see journey times increase by two to two-and-a-half hours, resulting in higher fuel consumption, extended crew hours, and inevitable delays.

In aiming to harm India, Pakistan may have ended up doing more damage to its own aviation sector — again.

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