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Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
Author | South Asia Matters
Editor | Cao Yincang
Reviewer | Shan Minmin Chen Zhuoke
Photo source: Reuters
Tata Group's airline has requested the Indian government to negotiate with China to allow the use of military-controlled airspace.
According to concentrated reports by media outlets such as Eastern Eye and The Telegraph, Air India has been working to rebuild its reputation and restore its international route network since the June air disaster.
A corporate document shows that due to the economic losses caused by Pakistan's ban on flights from Indian airlines, Air India is lobbying the Indian government to persuade China to allow it to use a sensitive military airspace in Xinjiang, China, to shorten flight routes.
This unusual request comes just weeks after direct flights between China and India were restored. Previously, direct flights had been suspended for five years due to the Himalayan border conflict.
The report states that after the 2020 border conflict, Sino-Indian flights and trade resumed. In June 2025, a Boeing 787 "Dreamliner" flying the London route crashed in Gujarat, India, killing 260 people. As a result, Air India temporarily cut flights for safety checks.
Since then, the airline has been working to rebuild its reputation and international route network. However, this effort has faced difficulties since the diplomatic tension between India and Pakistan escalated in late April, leading Pakistan to close its airspace to Indian airlines.
A document reviewed by Reuters, submitted to Indian officials in late October and previously undisclosed, shows that as the only airline in India with a large international route network, Air India's fuel costs for some long-haul routes have increased by 29%, and flight times have extended by nearly three hours.
The document states that the Indian government is assessing Air India's request to seek diplomatic channels to get China's approval for alternative routes, and to use airports in Hotan, Kashgar, and Urumqi in Xinjiang, China, for emergency landings, allowing faster access to the United States, Canada, and Europe.
The document also mentions, "Air India's long-haul route network is facing severe operational and financial pressure. Approval to use the Hotan route would be a strategic choice."
This airline, jointly owned by the Tata Group and Singapore Airlines, estimates that the closure of airspace by Pakistan has cost it $455 million in pre-tax profits annually.
This figure is significant, considering the airline's loss for the fiscal year 2024-25 was only $439 million.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said it was not aware of the matter and advised Reuters to consult "relevant departments." Air India, along with civil aviation authorities in India, China, and Pakistan, did not respond to Reuters' inquiries.
The Chinese airspace that Air India wants to enter is surrounded by many peaks over 20,000 feet (approximately 6,100 meters). Due to the potential safety risks in case of cabin pressure failure, international airlines usually avoid this area.
More importantly, military analysts point out that this airspace falls under the jurisdiction of the Western Theater Command. The Western Theater Command is equipped with a large number of missiles, drones, and air defense equipment, with some airports also used for civilian aircraft.
The U.S. Department of Defense's 2024 December report on Chinese military power stated that the Western Theater Command's responsibilities include responding to any potential conflicts with India.
The report states that compared to most countries' aviation markets, the Chinese military has stronger control over its own airspace and can restrict routes. Open-source intelligence tracker Damien Simon said that the Chinese military has recently expanded an airbase in Hotan.
The Chinese Ministry of Defense has not immediately responded to the matter. Data from the aviation navigation radar company AirNav Radar show that no foreign airlines have landed at Hotan Airport in the past 12 months.
Shukor Yusof, founder of the aviation consulting firm Endau Analytics, said, "Air India can try, but given the terrain conditions in the region, lack of emergency airports, and potential safety issues, it remains uncertain whether China will agree to let it enter the airspace."
Due to the increasing number of conflicts in global regions, airspace control is tightening. Since the outbreak of the Ukraine crisis in 2022, U.S. airlines have been prohibited from flying over Russian airspace, and many U.S.-India routes have also been suspended. This has given Air India a near-monopoly in the direct flight market in India.
However, the document shows that after Pakistan closed its airspace, Air India suspended the Delhi-Washington route in August 2025. Other routes are also under review, with direct flights from Mumbai and Bangalore to San Francisco becoming increasingly unsustainable, requiring an additional three hours of flight (including technical stops in Kolkata).
Currently, the San Francisco-Munich-Mumbai route operated by Lufthansa takes only five minutes longer than Air India's direct route.
The document states, "Passengers are turning to these airlines because foreign airlines can fly over Pakistani airspace and have shorter flight times."
Air India estimates that if it is allowed to use the Hotan route, it could significantly reduce extra fuel consumption and flight time, helping to restore the 15% reduction in passenger and cargo transport (including routes such as New York-Delhi and Vancouver-Delhi), and expects to reduce weekly losses by $1.13 million.
Cash flow pressure is exacerbating Air India's financial difficulties. The document shows that given the lack of signs of lifting the ban on Pakistani airspace, Air India also hopes to "obtain temporary subsidies before Pakistan opens its airspace."
Additionally, Air India, which has placed a $7 billion order for aircraft, is seeking help to resolve long-standing tax issues.
The document states that the Indian government, before selling Air India to the Tata Group in 2022, had promised to provide guarantees for the airline's previous liabilities, but currently, the airline has received multiple notices related to $725 million in historical tax arrears, raising legal and reputational risks.
Reuters also reviewed a confidential government notice dated March 2025, which showed that the tax department warned of "compulsory measures" (possibly including asset freezes) to recover $58 million in unpaid taxes in a particular case.
Air India stated that although the government made promises during the sale process, the company "faces additional cash flow pressure" to address these tax demands.
Analysts point out that this move by Air India clearly has the background of the Indian government and the influence of Singapore behind it. This move involves great risks and hidden intentions of the Indian side.
Firstly, it seeks more tangible benefits from the current easing of Sino-Indian relations. This aligns with India's habitual mindset of "wanting everything, wanting more, and wanting even more."
Secondly, it puts China-B Pakistan relations in a difficult position, shifting the consequences of the deterioration of Indo-Pak relations to China. Pakistan's closure of airspace to Indian aircraft is a countermeasure against India's aggression, as well as a response to India's continuous military threats against Pakistan.
In the current context where India is applying military pressure on Pakistan, using the Delhi attack incident to substantiate Pakistan's support for terrorism, refusing to implement the Indus Waters Treaty, etc., if China agrees to India's request, it would greatly harm Pakistan's security interests and trigger a backlash in China-Pakistan relations. India's move has the intention of undermining China-Pakistan friendship and destroying mutual trust between China and Pakistan.
Thirdly, if the Hotan route is opened to India, it would expose China's military assets to India. If other airlines also follow suit and demand China to open this route for them, it would cause endless problems and pose huge security risks and threats to China.
Additionally, this move is not conducive to the stability of Tibet in China.
This article is reprinted from the WeChat official account "South Asia Matters," published on November 21, 2025, titled "Major: Air India Considers Using China's Military Airspace."
Editor: Cao Yincang
Reviewer: Shan Minmin Chen Zhuoke
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