Staff Reporter:
India’s budget carrier SpiceJet has been barred from using Bangladesh’s airspace over pending air navigation charges, forcing the airline to reroute certain flights and potentially raising fuel costs.
On Thursday, a SpiceJet spokesperson told PTI that the airline was maintaining regular engagement with the Bangladesh authorities to settle the payment issues.
“These are routine industry issues and we are working constructively towards an early resolution,” he said.
The restriction means some east-bound services are now operating longer flight paths, particularly from Kolkata to destinations such as Guwahati and Imphal. Data available on the flight tracking platform Flightradar24 showed aircraft on the Kolkata-Guwahati and Kolkata-Imphal sectors avoiding Bangladeshi skies and instead flying through alternative corridors.
Longer routes, higher costs
With access to Bangladeshi airspace currently unavailable, flights are taking extended routes, which could marginally increase fuel burn and operating expenses if the situation continues. Overflight permissions are considered crucial for airlines to optimise sector timings and manage fuel efficiency, especially on short-haul eastern routes.
The development comes at a time when the airline is already grappling with financial stress. For the quarter ended December 2025, SpiceJet reported a net loss of Rs269.27 crore, attributing the setback to elevated expenses and one-time costs that impacted profitability.
Airline says operations ‘unaffected’
“We are in regular dialogue with the relevant authorities on operational and procedural matters, including navigation-related charges. Our flight operations remain unaffected, and we continue to operate our scheduled services in line with regulatory requirements,” said an airline Spokesperson.
Despite the assurance that scheduled services remain on track, industry observers note that prolonged airspace restrictions could put additional pressure on operational costs.
