FAQ: Was Modi really forced to fly through China because of Pakistan?
The verified reporting says his special aircraft took a longer route through Chinese airspace because Pakistani airspace remained closed to Indian aircraft. The precise viral claims of an 8.5-hour or 13-hour journey should be treated separately unless confirmed by authoritative flight records.
Can aircraft simply fly directly over the Himalayas?
Modern airliners can cross Himalayan terrain, but routes are constrained by approved airways, emergency-descent requirements, oxygen endurance, terrain escape procedures, suitable diversion airports and air-traffic-management capacity. ICAO has specifically documented oxygen and escape-route constraints affecting northern Himalayan routings.
Is Pakistan also losing money from the closure?
Yes. Pakistan forgoes Indian overflight revenue. That does not negate the operating expense imposed on Indian carriers. The economically meaningful comparison is reciprocal cost, not the fiction that either side pays nothing.
