India's leading airlines, Air India and IndiGo, are grappling with increased fuel expenses and extended flight durations after Pakistan shut its airspace to Indian carriers, according to a Reuters report. The airspace closure follows escalating tensions between India and Pakistan in the aftermath of a deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir earlier this week that claimed 26 lives.

India has squarely blamed Pakistan for orchestrating the attack, a charge Islamabad has strongly rejected. In the growing standoff, India suspended the historic Indus Waters Treaty, while Pakistan retaliated by banning Indian airlines from using its airspace.

Although international airlines are exempt from the restrictions, Indian carriers are already feeling the strain. Flights to destinations like New York, Dubai, and Azerbaijan, which previously passed through Pakistani airspace, are now taking longer detours—resulting in increased travel times and higher fuel consumption.

The impact is particularly severe for New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, which handles a significant share of India's long-haul flights to Europe, North America, and the Middle East, the report noted.

An aviation industry expert revealed that Air India's flights to the Middle East could now take up to an hour longer, affecting not just fuel costs but also cargo capacity, as heavier fuel loads reduce available space.

Air India announced on X that several of its services to North America, the UK, Europe, and the Middle East will now follow lengthier alternative routes due to the new restrictions. IndiGo similarly confirmed that some of its international operations would be impacted.

Ajay Awtaney, an aviation analyst and founder of an aviation news portal, observed that Air India would be the most affected because of its extensive long-haul international network.

The move comes at a difficult time for India’s aviation sector, which is already struggling with delays in new aircraft deliveries from Boeing and Airbus.

A pilot from an Indian carrier explained that the changes would force airlines to overhaul flight schedules, adjust flying hours, and rearrange crew shifts to comply with aviation norms.

Data from FlightAware showed that an IndiGo flight from Delhi to Baku on Thursday, using a new route over Gujarat and Iran, took 5 hours and 43 minutes—compared to 5 hours and 5 minutes the previous day when it crossed over Pakistan.

Pakistan has indicated that the airspace restrictions will remain in place until May 23. A similar closure in 2019 had cost Indian airlines over $64 million, according to figures released by the Indian government.