Air India saves time flying on the Hindu Kush route

Airlines linking India with Europe and North America have been forced to avoid the restricted airspace over Afghanistan. In fact, Afghanistan closed its airspace to non-defence aircraft in August last year

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Air India’s flights to North America are an hour shorter because it has been allowed to use the Hindu Kush route. Airlines linking India with Europe and North America have been forced to avoid the restricted airspace over Afghanistan. In fact, Afghanistan closed its airspace to non-defence aircraft in August last year.

Air India’s flights to New York, Toronto, San Francisco and Vancouver are the longest and are within the 777’s maximum range when fully laden. Normally, west-bound aircraft from New Delhi fly through Pakistan and Afghanistan before proceeding north to Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. This was before the Afghan blockade. After August 16, the same flights fly across south Pakistan, avoid the Afghan border and then cross into Iran-Turkey.

A report in Times of India mentions that Air India planes have been flying straight north over the Hindu Kush range since December 16, before returning to their old route to North America. A trip from Delhi to New York JFK that used to take more than 16.5 hours can now be done in less than 16 hours. The new route is also cost-effective for the carrier, saving roughly 7 tonnes of fuel every trip. Though Air India has recently cleared this route for its flights heading for North America, American and Canadian airlines on similar itineraries have been flying over the Hindu Kush range.

Airlines avoid the Himalayan range for the same reason, as well as many more. When the Afghan airspace reopens, Air India said it would return to its old route. So will the other airlines

While the Hindu Kush route saves time and fuel, it is not necessarily the first choice for carriers. Air India began flying its 787s over the mountain range for flights to London in October, but it took a while for its 777s to be allowed to fly the same route to North America.

Times of India quoted a senior AI official on the matter as saying, “The logistics of B777 and B787 are very different. A fully laden B787 (with passengers, cargo, and fuel) can have a maximum altitude of 35,000 feet. But a 777, due to factors like its different wing design and the fact that more fuel has to be carried for the much longer North America nonstops, can have a maximum altitude of 29,000 feet.”

These figures are important because certain peaks in the Hindu Kush range may reach a height of 25,000 feet. Airlines avoid the Himalayan range for the same reason, as well as many more. When the Afghan airspace reopens, Air India said it would return to its old route. So will the other airlines.

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