The proposed route would pass through Hotan in southwestern Xinjiang and could provide a shorter link for flights from northern and western India to destinations in Europe, the UK and North America. Because of the continued closure of Pakistani airspace, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said on Tuesday, india is exploring an alternative air corridor over China’s Xinjiang to reduce the longer flight times and higher costs faced by Indian airlines.
Naidu told reporters on Tuesday, according to a Hindustan Times report. “We are looking at other alternatives. Discussion on the Hotan route is going on between the two countries. Our external affairs ministry (MEA) is engaging with their country..let us see how it goes, but we are trying alternatives..
“All Indian carriers from the north and north-west are following the L639 route to avoid the Pakistan airspace…. which increases their flying time by 2 hours,” a person familiar with the matter said, according to the HT report. A second person familiar with the proposal said the route could be particularly useful for flights to Georgia, Baku, Central Asia and northern Europe. “The route may lead to significant savings for destinations like Georgia, Baku, Central Asia, and northern Europe,” the person said, as per the report.
