Overflight fees – A major factor in Aviation

Do you know airlines need to pay a foreign nation to use their airspace. i.e If an Air India’s flight goes to America through Europe, it needs to pay Europe for using its airspace. This charges are known as overflight fees.

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This also means that flight path cannot be determined by just knowing the shortest available route. While deciding a flight path the overflight fees is also a factor which needs to be taken care of. Using a direct path may... cost the airline huge amount which will be reflected in passenger’s ticket cost.

Why do countries charge overflight fees?

Normally countries provide services such as Air Traffic Control to planes passing by. A part of overflight fees is provided for these services. Another point is that, its their property, so they charge for using it. As countries have right over their lands they also have rights over their airspace.

Are Overflight fees the same everywhere?

Actually overflight fees varies from country to country. The civil aviation body of that particular country decides the charges according to their own criteria. For example US charges around 60$ per 100 nautical miles. 

"So to plan a flight path you need to choose a path which is both short and financially efficient."