India is in advanced talks with China to secure access to Xinjiang airspace, specifically over Hotan, as an alternate corridor for Indian carriers while Pakistan's airspace remains closed to Indian-registered and Indian-operated flights.

The Ministry of External Affairs has been engaging Beijing for over a year, but no agreement has been finalised, even as Islamabad has extended its ban until October 24, 2026.

Sources said the Indian government is exploring an air route over Hotan in Xinjiang to mitigate the Pakistan airspace ban. MEA is in contact with Chinese counterparts, and discussions have been ongoing for more than a year. Parts of Xinjiang's airspace are under military control, which makes clearance complex and explains the slow progress.

Pakistan's latest extension follows a Notice to Airmen issued by the Pakistan Airports Authority. The restriction now runs until 04:59 am on October 24, 2026, covering the Karachi and Lahore flight information regions. The previous extension was due to expire on September 24.

The airspace standoff traces back to the April 22, 2025, Pakistan-sponsored terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, in which 26 civilians were killed after being questioned about their religion.

In response, India barred all Pakistani-operated, owned or leased aircraft, including military flights, from Indian airspace from April 30, 2025. Pakistan subsequently shut its skies to Indian carriers, and both sides have renewed restrictions monthly.

India launched Operation Sindoor to target terror infrastructure in Pakistan and PoJK, aiming to punish planners and destroy camps and training facilities linked to the Pahalgam attack. Following escalation, India struck Pakistani airbases, which led Islamabad to seek a ceasefire.

All three terrorists involved in the Pahalgam attack were later killed in Operation Mahadev, a joint effort by the Army, CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir Police.

The closure has forced Indian airlines to fly longer, costlier routes to Europe and North America, increasing block time, fuel burn and crew costs. Carriers have repeatedly asked the government to press China to allow use of a portion of its military airspace in Xinjiang. Any savings from a Hotan corridor would depend on the exact tracks China permits and which flights qualify to use them.

Amid these talks, direct India–China services have resumed after a six-year gap, with Air India restarting Delhi–Shanghai flights on February 1, 2026. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu confirmed that alternatives are being examined and that discussions on the Hotan route are active, while stressing that outcomes remain uncertain.

ANI