Amid Pak blockade, AI seeks govt’s help for using China military airspace

AIR India has asked the Centre to persuade China to allow their aircraft to use a section of its restricted military airspace in Xinjiang as the ongoing Pakistani airspace closure continues to inflict steep financial losses on Indian carriers. India-China flights resumed only last month after a five-and-a-half-year suspension.

- S LALITHA @New Delhi

A source confirmed the development to this newspaper. “We requested the government some time ago to take up with China the possibility of opening a portion of its military airspace for Indian aircraft,” an official said.

“The Pakistan airspace ban has forced us to fly a circuitous route to Western destinations, sharply pushing up operational costs. The financial toll has been heavy,” the official said.