Now Reading: India negotiates with China to use Xinjiang air route
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India negotiates with China to use Xinjiang air route
India is in talks with China to use airspace over Xinjiang for Indian carriers, bypassing Pakistan's 17-month-old airspace closure. A senior official confirmed discussions through the Ministry of External Affairs have been…
India is in talks with China to use airspace over Xinjiang for Indian carriers, bypassing Pakistan's 17-month-old airspace closure. A senior official confirmed discussions through the Ministry of External Affairs have been running for more than a year. Parts of Xinjiang's airspace are under military control, complicating clearance.
Pakistan closed its airspace to Indian flights after the Pahalgam attack on April 22, 2025. The restrictions, extended monthly, are now valid until October 24, 2026. Indian carriers to the US, Canada, and Europe have been forced onto longer routes, raising fuel costs and flight-crew requirements. Air India has been the most affected. Bilateral India-China flights resumed only in late 2025 after a five-year suspension. India will host Routes Asia 2027 in Delhi from March 16 to 18, aiming to expand connectivity.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The New Indian Express frames the Xinjiang airspace talks as a government effort to mitigate operational costs on Indian carriers. It details the financial toll on Air India from circuitous routes. The unspecified source material for DNA India, which blocked access, cannot be analysed. The Express account is a straight report of official talks: no pro-government slant, no criticism. The implication is that military-controlled airspace in Xinjiang and the suspended bilateral flights complicate a quick resolution. The ministry's push for Routes Asia 2027 signals it sees connectivity as a strategic goal beyond the current Pakistan standoff. The talks' outcome will be clearer if the government confirms clearance from China's military authorities before the next airspace extension, due 24 October.
Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral
Sources (2): newindianexpress.com (neutral report), dnaindia.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry.
