India explores Hotan corridor in Xinjiang to bypass Pakistan airspace ban
India is negotiating a new flight path over Hotan in China’s Xinjiang to shorten routes that were lengthened after Pakistan closed its airspace.
Since Pakistan barred its airspace after the Pahalgam terror incident in April 2025, Indian airlines have been routing long-haul flights over the Arabian Sea toward Muscat, which adds between 45 minutes and two hours to journeys and raises operating expenses. Ram Mohan Naidu, India’s civil aviation minister, disclosed that officials are discussing a new corridor over Hotan in southwestern Xinjiang with Chinese counterparts, while the Ministry of External Affairs is also engaged.
If approved, flights from Delhi and Mumbai would fly north to Leh, enter Chinese airspace near Hotan, turn toward Kyrgyzstan and then join established tracks to Europe, the United Kingdom and North America. Sources suggest the shortcut could yield notable savings for routes to Georgia, Baku, Central Asia and northern Europe, easing the financial hit that Air India reportedly suffered, estimated at ₹4,000 crore. The plan still requires bilateral agreement and coordination on air-traffic management, and no launch date has been set. The negotiations reflect India’s effort to mitigate the operational impact of the ongoing Pakistan airspace closure.
Why it matters
The new corridor could reduce flight times and costs for Indian airlines strained by Pakistan’s airspace ban.
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