![]()
India is exploring an alternative air route through China’s Xinjiang region to reduce the growing cost and flying-time burden on its airlines caused by Pakistan’s continued closure of its airspace to Indian carriers. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said on Tuesday that India and China are discussing the possibility of using the Hotan route in southwestern Xinjiang, with the Ministry of External Affairs engaged in talks with Beijing.
“We are looking at other alternatives. Discussion on the Hotan route is going on between the two countries. Our External Affairs Ministry is engaging with their country. Let us see how it goes, but we are trying alternatives,” Naidu told reporters.
There is, however, no agreement yet or timeline for when Indian airlines could actually begin using the route.
The proposal has assumed greater importance as Pakistan’s airspace restrictions continue to force Indian airlines operating from northern and western India to take longer routes to Europe, North America and other western destinations.
How Pakistan’s Airspace Restriction Is Affecting Flights
Pakistan’s airspace traditionally provided the most direct westward corridor for flights leaving Delhi, Mumbai and other northern Indian cities for Europe and North America.
That changed in April 2025, after Pakistan closed its airspace to Indian-registered aircraft and aircraft operated, owned or leased by Indian airlines. India imposed reciprocal restrictions. Pakistan has since repeatedly extended its ban, with the latest restriction running until October 24, 2026.
For Indian airlines, avoiding Pakistan means flying considerably farther around the country, generally over the Arabian Sea and towards Oman before joining routes towards Europe and other western destinations.
The additional flying time varies by sector but has been reported at roughly 45 minutes to two hours, with some routes seeing even larger increases depending on the routing and prevailing conditions. The extra distance translates directly into higher fuel consumption, longer aircraft utilisation and, in some cases, complications involving crew duty limits.
The Delhi-Istanbul sector illustrates the difference. IndiGo’s scheduled Delhi-Istanbul flight takes about 8 hours 39 minutes, while a Turkish Airlines flight on the same city pair, which is not subject to Pakistan’s restriction, is scheduled at around 6 hours 45 minutes.
For airlines already dealing with high fuel prices and intense international competition, such additional costs can become significant.
Air India has previously estimated that the Pakistan airspace closure was costing it around Rs 4,000 crore a year. The airline’s FY26 results also reflected the broader pressure on its long-haul operations, with its annual report pointing to airspace closures, geopolitical volatility, longer block times and payload restrictions as challenges.
How The Hotan Route Could Help
Hotan is a city in southwestern Xinjiang, close to China’s borders with India-administered Ladakh and Central Asia.
The proposed routing would allow Indian aircraft to head northwards from India, cross into Chinese airspace around the Hotan region and then turn west towards Central Asia before joining existing international airways to destinations in Europe, the UK and North America.
In broad terms, the route being discussed would take aircraft from northern India towards Leh, into Chinese airspace near Hotan, and then towards Kyrgyzstan and onward to existing westbound routes.
Instead of taking a long detour around Pakistan and across the Arabian Sea, aircraft could potentially use a more northerly corridor.
The benefits would not be limited to minutes shaved off a flight. A shorter route means lower fuel consumption, potentially better aircraft utilisation and fewer operational complications.
Officials and aviation industry sources have indicated that destinations such as Central Asia, Georgia, Baku and northern Europe could particularly benefit from the proposed corridor.
The Hotan proposal is however, complicated because parts of Xinjiang’s airspace are controlled by the Chinese military. That means commercial access would require not just an aviation arrangement but coordination on air traffic management, security and operational procedures.
The issue of emergency diversions is another consideration. Earlier discussions have included the possibility of access to airports such as Hotan, Kashgar and Urumqi in case an aircraft needs to divert.
There are also technical and safety considerations for long-haul aircraft operating over high-altitude terrain. These include aircraft performance, emergency procedures and requirements in the event of an engine failure or cabin depressurisation.
So while the route may look straightforward on a map, putting it into regular commercial operation would require extensive coordination between Indian and Chinese authorities.
India-China Thaw
The proposal comes at an interesting moment in India-China relations. India and China have been gradually restoring direct air connectivity after flights were disrupted amid the Covid-19 pandemic and tensions following the 2020 Galwan Valley clash. Direct flights between the two countries began returning in late 2025 after a gap of more than five years.
Air links have since expanded, with services between Delhi and Chinese cities such as Guangzhou and Shanghai resuming. China Southern also announced the return of its Guangzhou-Delhi service in September 2026.
The Hotan discussions therefore represent another, much more unusual dimension of the aviation relationship.
It is a route being actively explored rather than an approved alternative. Naidu has confirmed that diplomatic discussions are underway, but there is no announced date for operationalising the corridor.
If Beijing eventually approves access to the Hotan corridor, Indian carriers could gain a new westbound pathway, turning a strategically sensitive part of Xinjiang into an important piece of India’s international aviation map.
Boost Your Prep with Free Mocks & Daily Tests