NEW DELHI: Air India has asked the Centre to persuade China to allow Indian aircraft to use its airspace over Xinjiang as the ongoing Pakistani airspace closure continues to inflict steep financial losses on Indian carriers. India-China flights resumed only last month after a five-and-a-half-year suspension.

A source confirmed the development to The New Indian Express . “We requested the government some time ago to take up with China the possibility of opening a portion of its military airspace for Indian aircraft,” the official said. “The Pakistan airspace ban has forced us to fly a circuitous route to Western destinations, sharply pushing up operational costs. The financial toll has been heavy.”

The source added that the airline can only move forward if diplomatic efforts succeed. “I

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