Mumbai: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Saturday asked airlines to factor in the longer international flying times and potential technical stops required due to the closure of Pakistan's airspace and communicate the information to passengers. The aviation regulator also asked them to ensure adequate food and medical supplies on board.
Indian airlines have revised their international schedules after Pakistan closed its airspace to Indian carriers on April 24 amid increased tensions between the two countries after the Pahalgam terror attack.
IndiGo has suspended its services to Almaty from April 27 to May 7 and Tashkent from April 28 to May 7. The airline said about 50 international routes will see increased block times. Air India and SpiceJet are adjusting crew rosters and flight-duty allocations because of the extra flying hours.
"Due to recent developments involving international airspace closures and overflight restrictions, airline operations have been impacted by the significant rerouting of international and regional flights," DGCA said in its guidelines.
It noted "increased block times compared to scheduled durations" and warned of the "possibility of technical halts en route for operational or fuel requirements".
Pakistan has said the airspace closure would remain in effect till May 23. The airspace closure adds as much as 60 minutes to westbound routes from Delhi, forcing flights south over Gujarat and the Arabian Sea. Fuel consumption and crew duty limits are under renewed focus as airlines adjust their flight plans.
The DGCA advisory has instructed carriers to communicate revised travel times, rerouting details and the nature of any technical stops to passengers at check-in, boarding gates and via SMS or email.
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IndiGo has suspended its services to Almaty from April 27 to May 7 and Tashkent from April 28 to May 7. The airline said about 50 international routes will see increased block times. Air India and SpiceJet are adjusting crew rosters and flight-duty allocations because of the extra flying hours.
"Due to recent developments involving international airspace closures and overflight restrictions, airline operations have been impacted by the significant rerouting of international and regional flights," DGCA said in its guidelines.
It noted "increased block times compared to scheduled durations" and warned of the "possibility of technical halts en route for operational or fuel requirements".
Pakistan has said the airspace closure would remain in effect till May 23. The airspace closure adds as much as 60 minutes to westbound routes from Delhi, forcing flights south over Gujarat and the Arabian Sea. Fuel consumption and crew duty limits are under renewed focus as airlines adjust their flight plans.
The DGCA advisory has instructed carriers to communicate revised travel times, rerouting details and the nature of any technical stops to passengers at check-in, boarding gates and via SMS or email.
