Delhi seeks China route for flights
India is exploring an aviation corridor through China to reduce the extra cost and time airlines face because of the ongoing closure of Pakistani airspace, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said on Tuesday.
The proposed route would pass through the Hotan area of southwestern Xinjiang. It could provide Indian airlines with a shorter connection to destinations in Europe, North America and parts of Central Asia.
Naidu said India’s Union Ministry of External Affairs was engaged with Chinese authorities on the issue, while cautioning that discussions were still underway.
Under the proposed arrangement, flights departing from Delhi and Mumbai would travel towards Leh before entering Chinese airspace near Hotan. From there, aircraft will proceed towards Kyrgyzstan and connect with established international routes serving Europe and North America.
Indian carriers have been using longer routes to avoid Pakistani airspace after its closure following the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack. The diversion has required flights from northern and western India to travel south over the Arabian Sea before reconnecting with their international routes.
A person familiar with the matter said airlines operating from the north and northwest are taking the L639 route, flying via Bhopal and Ahmedabad, crossing the Arabian Sea before heading towards Oman, to bypass Pakistani airspace, adding as much as two hours to some flights.
The longer routes have increased fuel consumption and operating expenses for Indian carriers, with the impact particularly significant for Air India because of its extensive long-haul network from Delhi and Mumbai.
Campbell Wilson, Air India’s former chief executive, estimated in 2025 that the airline incurred losses of about Rs 4,000 crore as a result of the Pakistani airspace closure.
However, the alternative route through China remains under discussion. Naidu did not indicate that the two countries had reached an agreement.
