Narendra Modi’s official aircraft, Air India One, flew from Delhi to Tashkent on 29 August via a long eastern detour after Pakistani airspace remained closed to Indian aircraft and the Iran route was unavailable. The journey to Uzbekistan covered roughly 6,200 kilometres and took about nine hours, instead of around three hours on the direct northern corridor. The aircraft landed at Tashkent East Airport as Modi began a visit to Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.
The routing sent the aircraft over Bangladesh, Myanmar and China before it turned west towards Central Asia. The deviation reflects the operational impact of regional airspace restrictions on state travel, forcing even a presidential transport aircraft onto a far longer path than usual.
Modi’s trip included delegation-level talks in Tashkent and attendance at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek. The long flight also underlines how geopolitical tensions continue to shape civil and government aviation planning across South and Central Asia.