India is exploring an alternative air route over China’s Xinjiang to reduce the impact of the continued closure of Pakistani airspace, civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu said on Tuesday. The proposed corridor over Hotan in southwestern Xinjiang would offer a significantly shorter route.
Untangling the Cost of the Pakistan Airspace Ban
The closure of Pakistani airspace, enacted in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025, has disrupted long-haul aviation economics in northern and western India. Flag carrier Air India, alongside other domestic operators running western routes out of Delhi and Mumbai hubs, has faced operational hurdles. Flights bound for Europe and North America have been forced into wide detours over the Arabian Sea toward Muscat.
These detours add between 45 minutes and two hours of extra flight time per journey, triggering a spike in fuel burn and operating expenditures. Campbell Wilson, former Air India CEO, estimated in 2025 that the airspace closure inflicted a ₹4,000 crore loss on the airline. Currently, Indian carriers flying north and northwest rely on the L639 route to steer clear of Pakistani territory.
The Xinjiang Corridor and the Hotan Alternative
To relieve this pressure, aviation authorities are eyeing a northern trajectory across southwestern Xinjiang. Minister Naidu outlined the mechanics of the proposed corridor during his Tuesday briefing with reporters, noting that the Ministry of External Affairs is engaging with their country.
If negotiations succeed, flights originating from Delhi and Mumbai would track toward Leh, cross into Chinese airspace near Hotan, sweep toward Kyrgyzstan, and hook into established pathways. This routing could unlock cost savings for commercial operations heading toward Georgia, Baku, Central Asia, and northern Europe.
Navigating Diplomatic Realities and Air Traffic Coordination
The pursuit of the Xinjiang route coincides with improving India-China ties. However, Aviation Minister Naidu stopped short of providing a timeline for the opening of the route or suggesting that an agreement had been reached with China.
Establishing a new international air corridor requires agreement between the countries and coordination on air traffic management and other operational issues. Until those agreements materialize, Indian carriers must continue absorbing the extended flight times and financial weight of southern detours.
