New Delhi: Flight Duration Between India To US And Europe To Extend

NEW DELHI: Flying to Europe or the US from India has become more time-consuming lately as flight duration have got longer and some routes have been altered.

Air fares remain unchanged but the time taken to complete a trip has increased. This is primarily due to the shift in flight paths owing to geopolitical tensions and safety concerns.

It may be noted that several non-US airlines have refrained from flying through Iranian airspace as a result of the Iran-Israel conflict.

However, American Airlines had avoided to pass through Iranian airspace much earlier.

But, the disruptions are not only confined to Iran as Afghanistan has also been a no-fly zone since August 2021 when the Taliban took over the reigns of this war-torn nation.

In addition to it, Western airlines have also exercised refrain from flying through the Russian airspace since the conflict in Ukraine began.

Furthermore, some pilots occasionally tend to avoid Iraqi airspace due to safety concerns.

As a result of the rerouting around Iranian airspace, flights between India and the West will take an extra hour to reach their destination.

Western airlines are facing the brunt of this situation as the time taken is even more longer for them owing to the fact that they are avoiding Russian airspace as well, thereby making matters worse for them.

For instance, an Air India flight traveling non-stop from Delhi to New York, which passes through the Russian airspace, takes around 14-15 hours while the similar flight route operated by United Airlines, an American carrier which avoids Russian airspace, takes 16-18 hours.

This extended travel time has led to some US airlines suspending certain India routes and delaying the launch of new ones.

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