India is negotiating with China to use airspace over Hotan in Xinjiang as an alternative route for its airlines, as Pakistan's airspace closure since April 2025 forces longer, costlier flights to Europe and North America. Talks via the Ministry of External Affairs have run over a year, though military control of parts of Xinjiang complicates clearance. Air India is among the worst affected.
India in talks with China for Xinjiang air route
Source: WION