File photo used for representation

NEW DELHI: Pakistan has turned down an overflight request by India for Prime Minister Modi's upcoming US trip. This request, according to officials, is as per protocol since Air India One is not a scheduled commercial flight but a VVIP charter.

The longer route that AI One will now take increases the flying time for the Delhi-Frankfurt leg of the journey by 45-50 minutes. Frankfurt is the fuelling and crew change stop for AI Boeing 747’s onward flight to Houston where “Howdy Modi” will be organised this Sunday with US President Donald Trump joining in at the mega event.

Earlier this month, Pakistan had turned down a similar request for President Ram Nath Kovind's flight to Europe.

Ministry of external affairs official spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said: “We regret the decision of the government of Pakistan to deny overflight clearance for the VVIP special flight for a second time in two weeks, which is otherwise granted routinely by any normal country. Pakistan should reflect upon its decision to deviate from well established international practice, as well as reconsider its old habit of misrepresenting the reasons for taking unilateral action.”

The alternate route from Delhi bypassing Pakistan airspace means flying near Mumbai-Arabian Sea (steering clear of Pakistan airspace around Karachi) — Muscat — and then to Europe. The straight route would have entailed flying from Delhi to Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran to Europe.

Pakistan had closed its airspace for overflying on February 27 following Indian Air Force ’s Balakot strike and had re-opened the same after 138 days on July 16. During this time all flights between Delhi and the west took the longer route.

In June Prime Minister Modi flew from Delhi to Bishkek . Due to the longer route, AI One covered a distance of 5,475 km with a block time (time from when aircraft door closes for departure to when it opens at destination on landing) of 6 hours and 30 minutes.

The straight route over Pakistan would have meant covering a distance 2,585 km in a block time of 3 hours and 45 minutes. Taking the longer route from Delhi to Gujarat-Arabian Sea-Oman-Iran-Central Asia-Bishkek meant covering 2,890 km extra and increased flying time of two hours and 45 minutes.

Indian presidents, VPs and PMs will be able to fly nonstop to North America by early next year when two new state-of-the-art Boeing 777s joins as dedicated AI or IAF One. The jumbo jets currently used for long haul flights as AI One are over 25 year old and can fly to US with a stop in Europe.

The B777s, on the other hand, have been doing India-US non-stop for AI on scheduled commercial flights for over a decade now. Even bypassing Pakistan airspace between Delhi and east coast of North America will not require a fuelling stop in Europe for the next-gen AI/IAF One.



In Video: Pakistan rejects India's request to open its airspace for PM Modi's flight to US