Airline faces higher fuel, employee and engineering expenses
Air India has around 38 flights daily (two way) from Delhi to Canada, Europe and the US. | Photo Credit: Regis Duvignau
Air India aircraft operating from Delhi to the US will burn around 10 tonnes extra fuel per flight with an increase in flight timing due to closure of Pakistan airspace, airline sources said.
The airline’s employee and engineering expenses are also set to rise. However, the airline will be able to save on hotel accommodation expenses at Copenhagen and Vienna as it has secured Directorate General of Civil Aviation dispensation to operate one-stop outbound flights without a crew change in transit.
Pilots’ concern
While pilots have voiced concern about fatigue due to extended work hours, Air India officials say extra rest is being provided during layover and on return to base.
Air India has around 38 flights daily (two way) from Delhi to Canada, Europe and the US. While the outbound flights to the US west coast are taking the routes over the Pacific Ocean, those flying to the US east coast are taking a refuelling halt at Vienna or Copenhagen.
These flights from Delhi are taking a longer southern route crossing Gujarat and Iran into Europe by around 60 minutes. Apart from this, fuel burn will also be impacted due to an additional landing and takeoff in Europe. This is because the rate of fuel burn is at the highest during the take off and climb phase of a flight.
Normally, Air India aircraft to New York or Chicago consume 85-125 tonnes of fuel based on aircraft type, payload and wind conditions
The airline’s maintenance costs too will rise as Air India needs engineering support at Copenhagen and Vienna for its US and Canada bound flights.
One-stop flights will also add up to costs as aircraft checks and maintenance schedules are based on the number of hours an aircraft flies and number of cycles it performs (a takeoff and landing is a flight cycle). However, sources say that effect of doubling of flight cycles would be seen over long term.
The immediate impact is being felt on operations and maintenance schedules. In the normal course, flights from the US would land at Delhi in morning and thus Air India could utilise the same aircraft for a domestic flighting afternoon. Alternatively, maintenance action could be carried out on it before night-time US departure. “Now that window is getting squeezed,” a source said.
“We are evaluating the impact of airspace closure. Everything is being assessed on how it impacts our network, the impact on passengers and so on,” an airline executive said. While no one is quite certain when border tensions will end, Air India officials remain firm on maintaining the current scale of operations. “Pakistan may well want to disrupt our operations, but we will not let that happen,” an official asserted.
Questions of fatigue
While Air India is providing extra rest and extra cabin crew on board its US flights due to longer hours, questions are being raised whether these steps are sufficient. In the normal course, a one-stop flight to US via Europe would have required a crew change in transit. While the flights now will have four pilots on duty (taking rest alternatively), concern is being raised on cumulative impact. “Technically everyone will be on duty for 18-20 hours. What will the airline and DGCA do if there is a safety incident? “Such duty time extensions can only be for a limited period and should not become a permanent feature,” a captain remarked.
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Published on April 30, 2025
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