Foreign Media: India Hopes China Will Open a Flight Corridor Over Xinjiang: How South Asian Air Routes Are Reshaping Trade Patterns

India hopes China will open a flight corridor over Xinjiang, despite the high level of militarization in the region. Tensions between India and Pakistan have led to Pakistan closing its airspace, prohibiting Indian aircraft from passing through, causing Indian Airlines to lose over $450 million annually. At the same time, land border crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been closed, leading to a paralysis of regional trade, forcing Afghanistan's Ariana Afghan Airlines to reduce fares to India.

New Delhi (Asia News) – Air routes between South Asian countries reflect new alliances forming in the region.

According to a recent report by Reuters, due to increased operating costs caused by the closure of Pakistani airspace, Indian Airlines is lobbying the Indian government to persuade China to allow its planes to fly over Xinjiang airspace, thereby opening shorter routes.

Direct flights between India and China were suspended in June 2020 after military clashes in the Himalayan border area and were restored a few weeks ago.

The need for Indian Airlines to find alternative routes highlights the significant economic losses caused by current flight restrictions.

Indian national airline estimates that the closure of Pakistani airspace will reduce its pre-tax profits by $455 million annually. Given that the airline recorded a fiscal loss of $439 million for the 2024-2025 financial year, this is undoubtedly an additional heavy burden.

Due to escalating conflicts, fuel costs on some routes have increased by up to 29%, and flight times have increased by as much as 3 hours. For example, according to the airline, direct flights from Mumbai and Bangalore to San Francisco "are becoming unsustainable."

Indian Airlines estimates that by passing through Hotan City in Xinjiang, it could reduce losses by approximately $1.13 million per week.

However, the airspace that Indian Airlines wants to use is not a regular civilian corridor. The airport is surrounded by mountains over 6,000 meters high, posing safety risks.

The airport is controlled by the Western Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, which has deployed a large number of air defense systems, including drones and missiles.

For Indian Airlines, opening this route may be the only opportunity to recover its financial situation.

At the same time, the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) recently issued a notice extending the ban on Indian aircraft using Pakistani airspace until December 24th.

Previously, tensions between India and Pakistan escalated in late April. At that time, a terrorist attack occurred in Pahalgam, a disputed Kashmiri area, resulting in 26 Indian deaths, triggering a strong reaction from New Delhi, and India launched missile attacks against Pakistan.

In response to India's decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty, Pakistan announced the closure of its airspace to all Indian airlines, whether owned or operated by India.

The Pakistan Airports Authority reported a loss of 4.1 billion rupees in August. At the same time, India is also reshaping its alliance relationships.

To revitalize exports that have stalled due to the closure of border crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan, Afghanistan's national airline Ariana Afghan Airlines has reduced freight prices between Afghanistan and India by more than half. This decision was made under the instructions of the Deputy Economic Advisor to the Prime Minister's Office.

In recent months, tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have also intensified, mainly because Kabul (according to Islamabad) continues to support the Pakistani Taliban, which is the main cause of the increase in terrorist attacks in the country.

Ariana Airlines stated that this move aims to help Afghan manufacturers and traders access the international market.

According to estimates by Afghan authorities, Afghanistan loses up to $200 million monthly due to the closure of border checkpoints with Pakistan.

According to data from the Afghanistan National Statistics and Information Agency (NSIA), in the first three quarters of 2025, Afghanistan imported goods worth $1.241 billion from Pakistan, accounting for 12.8% of its total imports.

During the same period, Afghanistan's exports to Pakistan amounted to $432.7 million, accounting for 38.3% of Afghanistan's total exports.

Given the current situation, if the trade disruption continues, Pakistan could lose up to $150 million to $170 million, especially threatening trade in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan, where fruit and vegetable prices have already risen.

Facing the deadlock, the Taliban has strengthened its use of the Chabahar Port in Iran and the Central Asian route.

Sources: Asia News

Author: Alessandra De Poli

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1849451841632264/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author(s) alone.